Who was that Skateboarding Fool!
by Altia
Summary: AU K&K Maybe A&M and S&M later Kenshin is the leader of a group of skaters from the local high school. He thinks that his life is complete with skateboarding, but he mets a girl who changes his mind. However, she doesn't take kindly to skaters. Please R
1. The First Encounter: What's Wrong with ...

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  Not mine!  I don't own a thing!  I only own myself, and I made an IOU to myself so not even that is true!

A/N:  My first serious Rurouni Kenshin fanfic!  I'm so happy!  It's AU, set in the future, and a romance/comedy/drama type thing.  Please read and review and tell me what you think and if I should continue it or trash it.  If some characters are OOC, mesa so sorry!

Chapter 1:  The First Encounter.  What's wrong with skateboarders?!

                "Woah!  Major air!" yelled Sanosuke Sagara at the boarder who had just achieved this 'major air.'

                "Not really, Sano," said a calm, cool, and very much collected Kenshin Himura, who just rolled to a stop.

                "Man, at this rate, you're gonna be a pro before you even leave high school!"

                Kenshin shrugged his shoulders and picked his board up.  He walked over to the nearby coke machine and got a soda.  'It feels as if something is missing in my life.  But what…?  I have skateboarding, isn't that enough?' Kenshin thought as he took a big swig of Vanilla Coke.  "Well, I'm gonna get home.  Gotta do homework…  See ya, Sano!"

                "See ya, bro!"

                Kenshin began to skate away slowly, his head somewhat in the clouds.

                                                                *                *                *                *

                "So, Kaoru, how much longer are you gonna wait until you get a steady boyfriend?" asked Misao Makimachi to her best friend, Kaoru Kamiya.

                "I could ask the same thing of you, Misao," Kaoru said to her friend, winking, as if to signal an unsaid joke.

                Misao giggled.  "Yea, well, at least I can say I'm in the process of getting a boyfriend.  That's a whole lot more then you can say."

                "Whatever, Misao.  I'm really not into that yet.  Especially since most boys in this school are skater boys.  It's like they are all in a big gang…"

                "I know what you mean…  But you can't judge a book by its cover.  Well I gotta get going!  See ya!" Misao said, already half a block away.

                "Bye…" Kaoru sighed, contemplating what her friend just told her.  'That is true, in theory…  But  highly doubt that it's relevant in a real life situation.' Kaoru thought, not really watching where she was going.  Until, that is, it was too late.

                **WHAM!!!**

                "Oww…  That really hurt you know!" Kaoru yelled, picking herself off of the ground.

                "I'm sorry," said a male voice.

                Kaoru saw his skateboard roll by her foot and instantly got mad.  "You stupid skateboarder!  Why don't you watch where you are going?!" Kaoru yelled, looking at his head, since he was still on the ground and looking at the floor.  'He has long red hair… crazy…'

                He looked up and smiled, "I said I was sorry.  I didn't mean to run into you, that I didn't.  I truly apologize."  'My gosh, she is beautiful.' Kenshin thought.

                'Violet eyes?!  Even more craziness.  I wonder how he got that scar on his cheek…  Skateboarding probably.'  "Um, I'm sorry for yelling at you.  I just don't really like skateboarders that much.  Are you ok?"

                "Yep, I'm just fine.  I've had worse spills than this.  How about you?"

                "Oh, I'm-I'm good.  I'm Kaoru Kamiya.  Who are you?"

                "Me?  Oh, I am Kenshin Himura.  It is a pleasure to meet you, Kaoru.  However, I wish we had met under… less painful conditions." Kenshin began to laugh slightly.

                Kaoru smiled.  'What am I feeling right now?  For a skateboarder… what is this feeling?!'

                Kenshin looked at her, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Um… sure…"

"What is wrong with skateboarders?  You seemed very unfriendly when you found out I was a skateboarder."

Kaoru froze.  Should she tell him?  "I have my own personal reasons."

"Oh, and you can't tell me yet 'cause you don't trust me yet.  I understand."

"Thank you.  Most other people kept on asking,"

Kenshin nodded.  He quickly looked at his watch.  "Oh jeesh!  I gotta get home!  Maybe I'll see you later?" Kenshin asked, his eyes showing nothing but innocence.  'Please let her say ok!'

                Kaoru was taken aback.  "Um, sure.  Ok."

                "Great!  Later!" he said, quickly skating away.

                "Bye," Kaoru wasn't even sure if he had heard her.  'Why am I so shaken up over a chance encounter?  Especially over a low-life skateboarder!  But… he seems so different then normal skaters…'  Her thoughts trailed off after that, leaving her more confused then before.  "I gotta call Misao!" she muttered under her breath and rushed the rest of the way home.

A/N:  There it is.  The first chapter.  If it's good tell me.  If it sucks, tell me.  Give me some sort of feedback.  I want my story to be different.  So tell me what you think!


	2. The Second Encounter: We're Having a Co...

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  Not mine!  I don't own a thing!  I only own myself, and I made an IOU to myself so not even that is true!

A/N:  Well, I'm back again.  I got a few reviews (thank yous at the bottom).  I forgot to mention this in the first chapter, but I get my inspiration for this song from Avril Lavigne's song "Sk8er Boi."  Yes, I know its kinda lame to inspiration from a song, but I'm me!

Chapter 2:  The Second Encounter:  We're Having a Conversation!

                "Man!  Why is it that I can do a 540 Back flip but I can't even write a stupid essay about nothing!!??" a frustrated Kenshin yelled to no one in particular.  He sighs and looks at the still blank paper.  He frowns and trys sitting in many odd positions trying to get his brain to function.  But, alas, it was in vain, for no matter how or where he sat, nothing could make him think.

                'Why can't I concentrate?  I know why… it's because of that girl, Kaoru.'  Kenshin smiled as he thought of her.  'I wonder what she is doing now…?'

                                                                *                *                *                *

                "No, Misao!  I'm serious!  I met this guy today!" Kaoru yelled into the receiver of the phone.

                "Yea, right.  Like you, of all people, would actually talk to a skater!" Misao said on the other end of the line.

                "Come on, Misao.  The guy ran into me.  Of course there has to be some type of talking.  But I didn't expect that much," Kaoru then told the whole conversation.

                After hearing the story, Misao said, "You say his name was Kenshin Himura?  I've heard of him.  He's supposed to be the best skater in the school.  They say he has the stuff to go pro."

                "And who exactly is 'they'?"

                "You know, 'they'!  The people around school.  That kinda 'they,'" Misao said, sounding slightly exasperated.

                "Oh.  But you say he's a really good skater?  And he goes to our school?"

                Misao grinned evilly on the other end of the line.  "Why are you asking that?  It almost sounds as if you are interested in this guy."

                "Me?!  Interested in a skater?!  Yea… right!"

                Misao sighed, "Yea ok…  Well, talk at ya later.  Got homework and stuff to do.  Bye!"

                "Bye, Misao," Kaoru said as she hung up her phone.  She sighed.  She, luckily, had no homework.  Her mind began to wonder to a certain red-haired skater.  'Why am I thinking about him!?  Of all people in the world to think about!  But, I must admit, for a skater, he was unusually nice.  I wonder what he's doing right now…'

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Kenshin woke up, still sitting by his desk.  He looked at the time.

                "OH CRAP!!  I'm late for school!" He then looked at his paper.  "Aww geesh!  I didn't even write a line!  Well, at least English is last period for me."  Kenshin quickly got ready and sped off to school.

                Kenshin was totally focused on getting to school.  He was so focused on his destination, he didn't see the girl he was about to run into.

                "OWW!  Darn it!  Why is this happening to me?!" Kenshin yelled.

                "Kenshin?" asked the girl he had knocked down.

                "Kaoru?  Oh man!  I am sooo sorry!  We have to stop meeting like this," Kenshin laughed at his little joke.

                "Heheh… yea…  Well, why where you going 100 MPH for?" Kaoru asked while getting up.

                "Oh, well I kinda slept in."

                "Ahh, I see.  Well, to be honest, I did too," Kaoru smiled weakly.

                "Um, well, we go to the same school, right?" Kenshin asked, praying to every God he knew for her to say yes.

                "I think so…  Onaka High School?"

                'Thank you!' Kenshin thought.  "Yes, I go there.  Would you mind if I walk with you?"

                'He wants to WALK with me?  Not SKATE next to me?'  "Um, sure."

                Kenshin held his skateboard under his arm, and walked along side Kaoru, grinning like an idiot.  "So, besides me running into you, how has life been going for you?"

A/N:  Yes, I left it right here!  You want me to continue it?  Review then!  Tell me you want me to go on!  Come on!  Be like these people:

Spellcaster the Diamond:  You like my style?  I never even knew I had my own style.  Well, if you like it cuz it's 'cheery' then I will try to continue to write like that.

sync*in:  Thanks for thinking my fic is cute.  Well, here's the next chapter.

SailorLoneStar:  You think it's awkward?  I'd like to see you do better!  I'll try to make this story my own original creature/monster thingy.  However you wanna look at it.

Skipper:  Thanks for you words of inspiration.  I don't know much about skateboarding so I'll try to make this good.

A/N:  (continued)  Well, that's all for now.  Ja ne all!


	3. What's Wrong with Telling a Couple of Se...

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  Not mine!  I don't own a thing!  I only own myself, and I made an IOU to myself so not even that is true!

A/N:  Ahh, I am feeling very inspired lately…  Wonder why… Well, I got more reviews.  Yay!  Well, I hope all of you out there enjoy my third chapter!

Chapter 3:  What's Wrong with Telling a Couple of Secrets?

                Kaoru stopped dead in her tracks.  'Did he just ask me how I was doing?  Why would he care?  Most people don't…'  "Uh, fine, I suppose."

                'She seems reluctant to talk to me.  I wonder why.'  "Oh.  Well, what's your favorite music?" Kenshin asked, trying his hardest to strike up a conversation.

                "Um, I personally like Pop music.  And you?  Let me guess, you like rap music, don't you?" Kaoru asked, assuming that all skaters were the same.  But you know what happens when you assume…

                "Oh no!  I can't stand that crap!  I personally like Classic Rock and Roll.  Why did you think that?  That just because I'm a skater that I like that kind of music?" Kenshin said, a slight grin on his face.  'She thinks I'm too much like those other skaters.'

                "Well… actually… yea… I did," Kaoru said, putting her head down, trying to hide her blush of embarrassment.

                Kenshin stepped in front of her and stopped.  He took her chin in his hand and made her look up at him.  "It's ok.  Really.  I'm used to those stereotypes.  You have no reason to be embarrassed."

                Kaoru stared into his violet eyes and blushed, but this time, it was for a different reason.  'Could I…?  Could this be…?  It can't…'

                Kenshin saw she was still blushing.  'Huh?  What's up with this girl…?'

                "Kaoru!!" came a very hyper, bouncy sounding voice.

                Kaoru pulled away from Kenshin to see her friend, Misao, skipping along towards her.  It was then that Kaoru realized they were in front of their school.

                "So, Kaoru, is this the guy you couldn't stop talking about last night?" Misao asked, a mischievous grin on her face.

                Kaoru blushed even deeper, if that was possible.  "Misao!" she said through gritted teeth.  She gave her an "I will murder you later" look.

                "Oro?  She was?" Kenshin asked, feigning innocence.

                "Yea, she was telling how she was falling--" Misao's chatter was stopped by a hand over her mouth.  That hand, of course, belonged to Kaoru.

                Kenshin was about to say something, but the bell rang.  "Opps, there's the bell.  Talk to ya later!"

                "Bye," Kaoru said, dragging a flailing Misao with her.

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Inside their first period class, Kaoru finally let go of Misao's mouth.

                "Geesh!  What was that all about?!  Why are you going all psycho over a guy?" Misao cried, once she took a breath of fresh air.

                Kaoru got right up in Misao's face, "That conversation last night was for your and my ears only!  No one, and I mean, NO ONE, must know what we discussed last night!"

                "Ok, ok!  Geesh!  You musta fallen for this guy big time."

                As the teacher entered the class, Kaoru took her seat and almost immediately began to daydream.

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Kenshin sat in his first period nearly falling asleep.  He had Chemistry (A/N:  BLEH!!!).  His mind continued to return to Misao's unfinished sentence, filling in the blanks mentally.  'I wonder if Misao meant me.  I could only hope that she did.  Kaoru…'  He got stirred out of his thought by a loud smack on his table.  He looked up to see Hiko-sensei.

                "And just what is baka-deshi thinking about today?"

                "Uhh, nothing, Hiko-sensei.  Nothing at all," Kenshin replied, sitting up straight.

                "Well, you can think of 'nothing' this afternoon for an hour or so.  Detention for you," Hiko said.

                "B-but, Hiko-sensei!  I can't today!  I got an important practice for this weekend's tournament!"

                "Well, you shoulda thought about that before you went daydreaming!"

                "Oh man…" Kenshin sighed and resumed his class work.

A/N:  Ahh, another chapter.  Well, not much to say here 'cept I put Hiko in!  And Aoshi is coming soon!  Maybe next chappie.  Here are my thank yous:

Crystal:  Well, if you break my neck, then I can't write no more cuz I'd be paralyzed.  It's ok bout not reviewing before.  Thanks a lot.

dreamaker13:  Thanks you for 'luuv'ing my story.  Well, here's the update!

sync*in:  Yea I did.  Well here's the next chappie, enjoy!

Spellcaster the Diamond:  Thanks for your nice comments.  You are kinda scaring me with your fangirl-ish-ness.

Tifa-sama:  Well, I'm gonna try to make this a long story.  Well, I write as much as I can before writer's block takes over.  I'll try to add the other couples.

Skipper:  Sorry for the cliffhanger… I just couldn't help it.

SailorLoneStar:  Well, thanks anyways for your suggestion.  It helped… I think….


	4. Lunchtime Conversations and Detention Re...

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  Not mine!  I don't own a thing!  I only own myself, and I made an IOU to myself so not even that is true!

A/N:  AHH!!  SCHOOL WORK!!!  DIE, DIE, DIE!!!  Sorry… I was venting…  Well, I'm sorry about the short chapters… Many people have complained about the sort-ness.  Well, I'm kinda writing these in my free time, which is few and far between anymore.  So, I'm trying my best here.  And if I seem inconstant in my updates, again, blame it on school.  And on top of all of that, I think I'm getting sick.  *sniffle*  Well, with all that stuff said, on with the chapter!

Chapter 4:  Lunchtime Conversations and Detention Revelations.

                "Bleech!  This cafeteria food tastes like crap!" Misao exclaimed, tossing her tray away from her.  Some of the juice from… whatever that blob of food was, splattered onto Megumi, who was sitting across the table.

                "Misao!  Watch where you are throwing your food!" Megumi said, while wiping the juice from her arm.

                "Well, sorry!  I can't control where the juice from that thing goes!"

                Kaoru sat, unusually silent.  Megumi and Misao stopped their quarrelling for a moment when Kaoru sighed.

                "What's the matter, Kaoru?" Misao asked, waving her hand in front of Kaoru's face.

                "Huh?  What?" Kaoru asked, coming out of her thoughts.

                "Misao just asked you if anything was the matter," Megumi said.

                "Oh, nothing's wrong.  I… just… I don't know…"

                                                                *                *                *                *

                "Would you guys shut up for 5 minutes?!" Kenshin yelled at the rambunctious group of skaters that he sat with.  "I gotta do this essay ok!?"

                The skaters continued to be as loud as ever, not listening to poor little Kenshin.

                "Gah!  Forget you guys then!" Kenshin said as he picked up his lunch and paper and sat at a table as far away as he could from the group.  When he looked at his new surroundings, he realized something.  He was sitting at the table that was next to the one that Kaoru and her group of friends were sitting!  Kenshin began to panic.  'I gotta finish this essay, but… I… can't… stop thinking about her!!'  Kenshin risked a lot when he glanced over at Kaoru.

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Kaoru had the impression that someone was looking at her.  She just knew that someone was looking at her!  But who?  Kaoru looked around and saw Kenshin staring at her from the table next to hers.  'Ohmigod!  He's looking at me!'  Kaoru felt herself beginning to blush.  After Kenshin saw this, he quickly looked down to the paper on the table and began to concentrate.

                Kaoru, however, continued to stare at him.  Megumi was talking to Kaoru, but when she didn't respond, Megumi wanted to see what or WHO was causing her to be distracted.

                Megumi followed Kaoru's gaze and saw who she was looking at.  "Ohohohoho!  Our little Kaoru has discovered boys!"

                Hearing this, Kaoru instantly glared at Megumi.  "Shut up, Megumi.  You have no idea what you are talking about."

                "Ohohohoho!  And she's falling for a skater, of all people!" Megumi laughed her famous laugh once again.

                Kaoru growled.  "I DO NOT LIKE HIM!!!  OK?!?!  I just happen to know him because we ran into each other, literally.  Twice, actually.  There is nothing going on!"

                "Oh, well that's good for me, then.  I find him very handsome.  Would you happen to know his name?" Megumi asked, sounding intrigued.

                "His name's Kenshin!" Misao piped in.

                "And how would you know that?" Megumi questioned.

                "'Cause Kaoru told me so!"

                "Misao!!" Kaoru yelled.

                "Ahh, I see," Megumi said thoughtfully.  Almost immediately, she began scheming.  However, she was not scheming for herself to get Kenshin, but for KAORU to get him.

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Kenshin sat in Hiko-sensei's room.  He stared at the wall and sighed.  He had overheard Kaoru's *ahem* quiet conversation with her friends and he was feeling very depressed.

                Hiko noticed how depressed he seemed.  "What's wrong, baka-deshi?"

                Kenshin looked at Hiko, and his eyes told the tale.

                Hiko nodded thoughtfully.  He knew exactly what was going on inside Kenshin's mind.  However, he decided to remain silent, allowing Kenshin to stew in his own thoughts.

                Kenshin sighed again.  'I would stay in a million detentions for her, but it seems that her feelings are not mutual.  But, I could have sworn that the way she was looking at me…  I'm such a fool…'

                "Baka-deshi, you can't give up that soon.  If you ever want to get somewhere with this girl, whoever she may be, you gotta take action!" Hiko told him, but said no more after that.  'That should give him something to think about.'

                'Hiko-sensei's right!  I can't give up!  Just like I didn't give up when I tried a 720 for the first time!  I can't, and won't, give up!'

                                                                *                *                *                *

                "Oh, crap, oh crap, oh crap!  I'm late!!!!" Kenshin yelled as he ran to his skate practice.  When he did finally make it, and no he didn't run into anyone, he saw his friend staring in aw.  He walked up to Sanosuke.  "Hey, Sano!  What's up!?"

                "Shh!  Look!" Sano pointed in the direction of the half pike.  There, skated the new student to Onaka High School, Aoshi Shinomori, who was shredding up a storm.

A/N:  Ahh!  I put Aoshi in!!  Yay for me!!  I also fit Megumi in there.  What are Megumi's plans?  Don't ask me!  I have no clue myself!  Well, here are my thanks to those who reviewed.  And for those who didn't yet, what are you waiting for!?!?!?  Let's move it!!  Or I'll sick Hiko-sensei after you!!

Crystal:  Well, let's just get technical!  Thanks for your support.

sync*in:  Thanks for you nice comments.  Well, Kenshin is smart, but he couldn't concentrate on his essay because all he could think of was Kaoru.  (Crowd in background:  Aww.)  Hey, you could almost be considered a loyal reviewer!

SailorLoneStar:  Of course I notice when you are in La-la Land!  You are constantly there!  I will put other couples in later!  So be patient!  Please don't turn into sammy-chan.

Spellcaster the Diamond:  Thank you.  Yes, I do hate chemistry with all of my being.  I will continue to write.

Kamimura Kaoru:  Thanks for reviewing!  I will try to update as often as possible.

¤Hotaru-chan¤Brazil¤:  Yes, my story is doing surprisingly well.  I'm working on the longer chapters.  I really am.  I might put a prom in later… or at least a dance of some sort.

K-chan:  Yes, my story is different…  I will continue as long as I can.

Skipper:  Ok, I'll keep writing cliffhangers.  What do you think of this last one?

Tifa-sama:  Aoshi's here!  Well, I hope you find this chapter humorous also!  And here is the next chapter!


	5. Battered Faces and Bruised Egos

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  Not mine!  I don't own a thing!  I only own myself, and I made an IOU to myself so not even that is true!

A/N:  *sneezes*  Yep, it's official… I'm sick…  Well, I'll try to make this chapter ok even thought my brain is full of snot…

Chapter 5:  Battered Faces and Bruised Egos.

                Kenshin stared at the new student who was pulling moves better then Kenshin's.  He couldn't even speak because his vocal cords would not function.  It was insane.  'I… I can't believe this…  He's better then me!'

                "Yo, Kenshin?  Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Sano asked.

                "Yea… I am…" Kenshin said, finally regaining his voice.

                Aoshi finally came to a stop at the top of the half pike.  Everyone who was watching clapped for him, except Kenshin, of course.

                Aoshi walked by the group of skaters and stopped in front of Kenshin.  "So, you are this town's renowned skater," he said, more of a statement then a question.

                Kenshin nodded.

                "Well, if you are so good, let's see your moves."

                'Uh oh.'  "Ok.  If you really wanna see them, I'll show 'em to ya."  Kenshin climbed the half pike, for some reason feeling very intimidated.  'Here goes nothing.'  Kenshin dropped in.  He started with many basic tricks, a kick-flip, a 360, and a few more various tricks.  'Now, let's hope I can nail this last trick…'  Kenshin built up speed, getting bigger and bigger air.  After getting about 6 feet above the half pike platform, he attempted to do 900 front-flip kick-flip.  However, poor Kenshin hadn't perfected this trick yet, and he landed flat on his face and slid a bit.

                "Ohh…" all of his skater buddies said, in sympathy for their poor friend.

                "Kenshin!  Buddy!  You ok?!" Sano cried as he ran to his injured friend's side.

                Kenshin started to slowly move and tried to get up.  He looked at Sano, blood pouring out of his nose.  "Do I look like I'm ok, Sano?"

                Aoshi walked over and shook his head.  "If that was your best move, then you have no chance this Saturday at the competition.  What I was doing was child's play.  I haven't even begun to skate serious.  I will win this competition, and I will be this town's best skateboarder."  Aoshi walked away.

                "He thinks he's so high and mighty…  C'mon, buddy, let's get ya home."  Sano lifted Kenshin up, putting his arm around his shoulders and letting Kenshin use him as support.

                The blood had somewhat stopped from his nose, but still oozed from the cut on his forehead.  And he also had many tiny cuts and a type of rug burn all over his face.

                "I will beat Aoshi… but first… I think I'm gonna pass out…" which is exactly what he did.

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Kaoru and Misao chatted happily as they made their way home.  Kaoru had made a promise to herself to avoid Kenshin at all costs.  However, this would be difficult considering that she had to walk past the skate park to get home.

                As they were passing the skate park, Kaoru stopped walking.  She had seen a flash of red.  Then, she heard the impact.  She visibly flinched.  She knew that whatever had happened had to have hurt badly.  Misao had kept walking but turned around and went back to her friend when she noticed she wasn't there.

                Kaoru gasped when she saw a very tall man carrying a badly hurt Kenshin.  'But why do I care?  I do I care if he's hurt?!'  She saw his many cuts and soon to be bruises.

                "Kaoru, isn't that Kenshin?" Misao asked, pointing to the redhead.

                Kaoru nodded.  She suddenly had the urge to run over and make sure he was ok.  'What is wrong with me?!' she thought.  "Come on, Misao.  We should be going."

                "But, Kaoru, don't you wanna see if he's ok?  I mean, even though he's a skater, he's a human being, too.  He gets hurt just like everyone else."

                "I need to get home.  I have a lot of homework to do," Kaoru said, keeping her voice as even as possible, while inside, she was tearing herself apart.  She so badly wanted to go help him, but another part kept reminding her that he was a skater, nothing more.

                Misao stared at her friend as Kaoru walked away.  "I can't believe you, Kaoru!  I can't believe that you let your own reasons for hating skaters corrupt you!"

                Kaoru kept walking, not looking back, for fear that Misao might see the tears in her eyes threatening to come out.

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Kenshin finally came to in his room.  He sat up, but instantly laid back down.  He had a throbbing headache.  He suddenly remembered why.  He also remembered something else.  He remembered seeing Kaoru look at him with concern in her eyes, but she walked away.  'Why?' he thought.  'She looked concerned, but she didn't help me.'

                Sano walked in, seeing Kenshin was awake.  "Yo, bud!  How you feeling?" Sano said, in a somewhat loud voice.

                "Sano, please, talk quieter.  I've got a major headache."

                "Sorry, bro.  But, besides the obvious, you look like something else is wrong.  Tell your best bud what's wrong."

                "Well, you see…"

A/N:  Wow… this chapter was especially hard.  I wonder why.  Poor Kenshin got hurt.  Both physically and emotionally.  I say he should just give up!  (All K&K fans throw things at me)  AHH!!  OK, OK!!  I didn't mean it!!  Well, here are my thanks for those who reviewed:

sync*in:  Sorry.  I'm getting to the romantic parts.  I want some type of drama and stuff and yea…  But it is coming…

Skipper:  Here's a somewhat of a cliffhanger.  I'll keep on rockin' as long as I can keep the snot outta my brain.

Ayumi:  Thanks a lot.  Well, I continued.  And I plan to continue more…

SailorLoneStar:  I'm not planning to put Shishio in, but I might change that… Hiko is like the ultimate teacher and he knows what his pupils are thinking.  Especially Kenshin, cuz he's so transparent.  You did help me a little.

Kamimura Kaoru:  Here's the update.  Thanks for your nice comments.

Crystal:  Yep, Aoshi is here!

bell:  I don't know… what is wrong with skateboarding?  Yep, it's from "Skater Boy."  I don't know…

sammy-chan:  Calm down please…  You have so many comments, I don't even wanna try to respond to all of them…

Spellcaster the Diamond:  Well he is better then Kenshin.  At least right now he is.  Here's the update.  Hope you know more.


	6. Shocking Events and Plans Revealed

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  Kenshin still don't belong to me.  However, I finally own myself, but I'm gonna go back to not owning myself cuz I'm gonna use my newly acquired money to by anime! *grin*

A/N:  I actually had a dream on how this next chapter should go.  Lets hope I can write it as well as I dreamed it.

Chapter 6:  Shocking Events and Plans Revealed.

                Misao couldn't believe how Kaoru had acted.  She sat at her desk in her room and frowned.  'All because he is a skater…'  However, Misao's angry quickly passed when she remember the very handsome skater she had seen.  He left before Kenshin and the other tall skater did.  She sighed.  'He looked so strong and confident of himself.  I wonder if he was that new student everyone was talking about…  Oh well, just get over it, Misao, you'll probably never see that guy again… whoever he was…'

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Kaoru sat at home, trying to stifle the tears that would not stop flowing.  "Why am I crying?!" she said out loud.  "Why should I even care?!"

'Because you love him and you know it,' a part of Kaoru's mind responded.  

"No, I don't… he's a lowlife skater!"  

'But he's not the same as the others.  I think he has proved this many times.'

"…"

'So, I'm right.  Just admit it to yourself, Kaoru, you are in love with Kenshin Himura.'

Kaoru nodded, but suddenly was angry with herself because she had argued with herself!  'I'm going crazy… and it's all Kenshin's fault!'

                                                *                *                *                *              

"Ahh, man, that's harsh," Sano said after hearing Kenshin's story.  "I think you should give up on the chick.  She ain't worth it.  Anyway, she's like the smartest one in the school!  What makes you think you even have a shot with her?"

"I don't know, Sano.  But I do know one thing, I won't give up," Kenshin said, nodding in his determination.

"Whatever!  She has this major complex about skaters!  She can't stand them!  Again, what chance do you, a SKATER, have?" Sano said, emphasizing the word 'skater'.

"Well, if she can't stand skaters… then there might be a way…" Kenshin stated thoughtfully.

"Uh oh, I don't like that tone of voice.  What are you planning, Kenshin?"

"Sano, after this Saturday's competition, I am officially quitting skateboarding."

"WHAT?!?!?!!?!?" Sano yelled.  "You can't be serious!"

"I'm serious, Sano.  As serious as I've ever been."

"But you could have a great future being a skater!"

Kenshin shook his head, "No future can be great for me without Kaoru."

"We promised!  We promised we would go pro together!  Don't you remember that?!"

"Things change, Sano.  Wait 5 minutes and they will change again.  It's just the way it is."

"I can't believe you would just throw away our promise cuz of a girl!  See ya later, Kenshin!  Hopefully later than sooner!" Sano yelled as he stormed out of the house.

"I hope I'm making the right decision…"

                                                *                *                *                *

Sano slammed his locker.  He still couldn't believe what Kenshin was planning to do!  He glared at his locker as if trying to burn a hole through it.

"Hey, Rooster-head!" a female voice called.

Sano turned around to see Megumi run up.  "What you want, Fox?  I ain't in the mood for insults this morning."

"It's more important then that!  You and Kenshin know each other, am I correct?"

"Yea, I know him.  Why?"

"Well, you see, he really likes my friend, Kaoru."

"Yea, I know… all too well…"

"Well, since you know almost all of the guys in this school, I have a plan to get those two together!  But I need your help!  Will you help?" Megumi asked, pouting slightly.  'Heh, no man can resist the pout, not even Rooster-head.'

                Sano looked at her and sighed, "What do I have to do?"

                Megumi smiled, "Well, you know how the Prom is coming up really soon right?"

                Sano nodded.

                "Well, I want you to tell all the guys you know and even the guys, except for Kenshin, of course, you don't that if Kaoru Kamiya asks them to the Prom, they are to say they already have dates.   Then Kaoru will be stuck with Kenshin!  I know she won't want to go alone!"

                "Nice plan, Fox.  Sure, I'll help."

                "Thank you so much, Sano," Megumi smiled and hugged him.  "Well, gotta go!  Bye!"

                "Bye."  'Kenshin, you are gonna owe me big time.'

A/N:  Wow, Megumi's plan revealed!  Will it work?  Will Kenshin really quit skateboarding?  Will Kaoru get a date to the Prom?  Do you know the Muffin Man?  Woah… where did that last question come from…?  Anyways, here are my thanks:

Crystal:  Yes, Kaoru is kinda mean…  But later, she gets nice again…

K-chan:  Thanks!  I'll keep it up as long as I can!

DiaBLo:  Sorry if it seems rush and fast-paced and such.  Its just people want me to get to romance stuff.  I'll try to go slower.

Tifa-sama:  Yep, poor Kenshin.  Kaoru is kinda mean and a little OOC.  

Kawaii Ayame:  You like Aoshi a lot don't you?  I personally like K&K better than any other one.  I kinda feel better.  I'm not as sick.

SailorLoneStar:  I feel bad for you about yer 2 essays…  I know some characters are OOC, I don't need you telling me that.  Aoshi wants to be the best skater… I don't think that's considered stuck up.  Yes, please shush up now.

Spellcaster the Diamond:  Thanks.  You liked the Kaoru part?  Aoshi will get nicer, a little, after he meets Misao in a chapter or two.  Here's the next chapter!


	7. Shocking Annoucement! What is Kenshin T...

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  Nope, I still don't own a thing.  I have $16 to my name.  If you sure, that will be all you get…

A/N:  Not much to say, really…  Just to let you all know I have had a great time in writing this story.  And knowing people actually like it makes this all the more better.  Well, with that said, on with the chapter!

Chapter 7:  Shocking Announcement!  What is Kenshin Thinking?!

                Kaoru closed her locker.  She was about to talk away when she heard someone calling her.  She turned around to see Kenshin running towards her.  He was coming so fast, he barely stopped before he hit her.

                "Kaoru!  I'm glad I caught you!" Kenshin said, huffing and puffing.

                "Well, how could you not, running as fast as you were…?" Kaoru said, sarcastically

                Kenshin winced slightly, but not noticeably, at Kaoru's remark.  "It's just… I have something very important to tell you."

                Kaoru's interest perked up at this.  'I wonder what a skater thinks is important…'

                "Kaoru, as you know there is a competition this Saturday," at this, Kaoru nodded.  Kenshin continued, "Well, this will be… my last competition.  After this, I will officially quit skateboarding."

                Kaoru was shocked at this, but she never let it show.

                "And that being said, I hope you would do me the honor of going to it," Kenshin asked her, looking straight into her eyes.

                'He… he's quitting skateboarding?'  "B-but why?" Kaoru stammered out, "Why are you quitting skating?"

                Kenshin sighed.  'Here's the moment of truth.  Don't blow it, Kenshin!'  "Because, maybe, I can have a chance with someone that I truly care about, who seems to not care for me in my current state."

                Kaoru gasped.  'Does he mean… me?'  'Of course, idiot!'  "But, Kenshin, you can't quit!  You could have such a great future!"

                "No future will be great if I'm a skater.  I know it, and deep down inside of you, you know it too."  Kenshin then turned on his heels and walked away just as the bell rang.

                'Kenshin… why?  Why throw away your future for someone like me…?  Why…?' Kaoru thought as the people rushed by her.

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Kaoru was deep in thought until lunch.  She barely concentrated in her classes, which is very much unlike her.  Her friends, especially Misao, noticed her change in mood.  They decided something was very wrong with her.

                "Kaoru?  Are you ok?" Misao questioned her friend once they were seated at their table.

                "I… I ruined it…" Kaoru mumbled, trying to stifle the tears that were threatening to come down.

                "Ruined what, Kaoru?" Megumi asked, generally worried for her friend.

                "I r-ruined his life… I ruined his career…" Kaoru stuttered, the tears falling from her eyes.

                "Whose life, Kaoru?  What are you talking about?" Misao wondered.

                "Kenshin's!  I ruined his life!  He's quitting skateboarding after this Saturday's competition!  And it's my entire fault… Just because I couldn't…." Kaoru stopped herself before anything important came out.

                Megumi and Misao waited for her to continue, but she didn't.  Instead she just sat and sobbed.

                'I hope my plan goes ok…' Megumi thought while trying to comfort her friend.

                                                                *                *                *                *

                "I can't believe there are so many guys in this frikin' school!" Sano growled as he wandered around the school, stopping every single guy and telling him the message.  "That fox is gonna owe me big!  Maybe I can pay up at the prom heheheh…"

                Sano continued to do his little mission when he ran into Kenshin.

                "Oh, hello," Sano said, still very angry with Kenshin.

                "Hey… Listen, Sano…"

                "Hey, man, I know what you are going through.  Them girls make us guys funny in the head sometimes.  Just don't let it affect yer performance this Saturday," Sano said, a grin on his face.

                "No prob!  So you're cool about my decision?"

                "No.  But the thing is, it is your decision.  That's all there is to it…  I couldn't change it even if I tried.  I just hope you know what you are doing…"

                "I do too, Sano, I do too…"

A/N:  Hey all… sorry about the long update wait.  I had lotsa homework and plus I had writer's block.  Well, here are my thanks to all those who reviewed:

Crystal:  Yep, let's totally hope so.  Thanks.

K-chan:  Yep, she is.  I might be able to make it A/M also… depends…

sync*in:  Yea, the plan is kinda sad for Kaoru.  But really it's the only thing Megumi can do.  It's ok about not reviewing…I'm trying to make toe chaps longer…  I hope this one is longer.

DiaBLo:  Yep, Megumi is kinda evil.  Ohohoho!

Skipper:  Well, as if right now, yes it is happening.  Yup the fox has a good plan…  you'll have to wait and see if it works out…

Tifa-sama:  Yea, Kaoru was kinda OOC…  Misao's character was correct…?  Wow… amazing… I actually got a character right…  Well, Kenshin was desperate…  Kaoru will go… I'll make sure of that…

Spellcaster the Diamond:  Yup Kaoru admitted!  You tore a Kenshin picture?!?!  BOO!!! HISS!!!!  Don't tear anything else up!!

KitKat:  Ahh, thanks for that bit of info…  I'll try to keep up my ok work…

Kamimura Kaoru:  Well, here's my update.  Sorry if it took so long.

SailorLoneStar:  I'll make you shush up!  Well, you will see what I have in store for our lovable characters.  Here's the update.

mutsumi:  Thanks.  Well, we shall see what Kenshin does.

mewlw:  Thanks.  Here's the update.

moonblossom:  Yep, that is true.  Yea, I know it took forever, but I had like as essay due a few days ago so I had to recoup from it.


	8. The Competition Begins! Juniors are Up ...

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  Must I say it?

Lawyers:  *nods heads*

Me:  Fine… I do not own Rurouni Kenshin nor anything associated with it… there?  Happy?

Lawyers:  *nods heads*

Me:  You don't talk that much, do you?

Lawyers:  *nods heads*

Me:  *sweatdrop* …

A/N:  AHHH!!!!  I HATE SCHOOL!!!!  I thought being a sophomore in High School was gonna be easier then being a freshman… man… was I wrong!  *sighs*  So much to do… so little time…  Enjoy this next chapter!

Chapter 8:  The Competition Begins!  Juniors are Up First!

                The day of the tournament was finally at hand.  Kenshin usually wasn't nervous, but for some odd reason *cough*Kaoru*cough*being*cough*in the stands*cough*watching*cough*, he was.  Sano noticed his poor nervous redheaded friend.

                "Hey, man, just chill out.  It'll be fine… don't worry 'bout it!" Sano tried to calm Kenshin down.

                All Kenshin did was stare into space, lost in a tidal wave of thoughts:  'What if I don't win?' 'What if Kaoru still hates me?' 'What if she DOES like me?' 'Am I doing the right thing?'

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Kaoru, Misao, and Megumi sat in the bleachers, waiting for the competition to begin.

                "Kaoru, why are you here?  I thought you hated skateboarding," Megumi said.

                "I… uh… have my own reasons…" Kaoru replied.

                "Kenshin asked her to go and cuz she loves him SOOOOO much, she couldn't turn him down!" Misao piped in, as cheerful as ever.

                "Misao!  Don't believe a word she says, Megumi!  She had too much ice cream for breakfast this morning and she's not thinking straight!" Kaoru said, her cheeks a very bright shade of red.

                "Sure, sure…  Whatever you say, Kaoru…" Megumi said, with a flip of her long hair.

                Kaoru sighed.  'Misao's right…  More right then I want to admit…'  Kaoru was about to continue her mental conversation when the loud announcer interrupted her thoughts.

                "Hello and welcome to the 5th annual Regional Skateboard Championship!  We have a lot of great skaters today so let's not waste time anymore!  Our first competition will be the Juniors Division!"

                The crowd began to cheer wildly.  And so the competition began.

                'This is going to be a long day…' Kaoru thought.

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Just as the announcer stated, the Juniors Division was up first.  There were only 3 entries in this division.  They were:  the child prodigy Yahiko Myojin, his rival Yutaro Tsukayama, and Tsubame Sanjou, a girl Yahiko is currently interested in.

                Yahiko was up first.  He was quite good for someone his age.  He had a few mistakes, but all around did well.  He got a 92.3.  Yutaro was up next.  He did as well, almost better than Yahiko.  He got a 92.2.  Tsubame was up last.  She was very talented for a first year competitor.  She got an 87.5.

                For the second round, Yahiko scored a 93.1, Yutaro scored a 93.0, and Tsubame scored a 91.8.  This winner of the division was obviously Yahiko, followed by Yutaro and Tsubame.

                Misao, Kaoru, and Megumi had watched the kids with awed looks on their faces.

                "That was a very good competition, considering they were just kids," Misao said.

                "I agree," Megumi said.

                Kaoru simply nodded her head.  She knew what was coming up next… the Adults Division.  The very same Adults Division that held the one person she truly came to see… Kenshin Himura.

A/N:  Ahh!  That chapter was hard to get out.  Sorry if it's so short.  I had almost no free time recently, plus I'm fighting away a case of writers block.  Here are my thanks to those who reviewed:

Spellcaster the Diamond:  I won't tell you what's gonna happen to Kenshin.  Yes that joke was corn-y-ish.  Ohh, your friend should be stabbed by the blade of Battousai.

Chiki:  You think her plan will work?  You say Kenshin won't quit skateboarding?  Heheh… just wait…  You really like my fic?  I'm trying to update as fast as I can.  Thank you for your nice comments.  They make me feel all warm-ish inside!

Vesca:  It's ok that you are a little late.  Oh don't worry, her secret won't be corny.  I still haven't even thought of it yet… Opps, I said too much…

Crystal:  Sorry for making you wait.  Here's another update.

DiaBLo:  Well, you will see what Kenshin will do for Kaoru.

White Plum:  Kaoru will do something.  What?  I don't know yet… Opps, I said too much again… Well here's the beginnings of the competition.

Vesca:  Yep, Kaoru should do something like that… But do you really think she would?  Yes, teenagers are frustrating… I should know… I am one…

K-chan:  Yep, what more can you ask for?  Sorry 'bout the short chaps…

Skipper:  You will have to wait and see what will happen…

Tifa-sama:  Thanks for defending my lack of updates…  Well, Kenshin does truly love her… Yea it's kinda sad…  Well, here's the next chapter…

Kamimura Kaoru:  Kenshin will do what Kenshin does… no one can change his mind… except for maybe Kaoru…  You will eventually find out why Kaoru hates skaters so much…

Maggie-san:  Thanks.  I did not realize this fact…  Uhh… well I was planning to make him a good kisser anyways…  Ow… do you need a Band-Aid?

omochi:  Kaoru will be Kaoru…  Pride is very stupid, but it's unavoidable…

A/N:  (continued)  I am planning to start another new serious fic.  It will be called "Ordinary Day," based on that some by Vanessa Carlton, but not actually a songfic…  I'm working on the first chapter right now…  And, I've been asking a lot of my friends this recently, and I'm just wondering, if you were an anime character, who would you be and why?  If you so desire, answer in your next review.  Well, see ya til next chapter!


	9. The Competition Continues! Kenshin is H...

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  Must I say it?

Lawyers:  *nods heads*

Me:  Fine… I do not own Rurouni Kenshin nor anything associated with it… there?  Happy?

Lawyers:  *nods heads*

Me:  You don't talk that much, do you?

Lawyers:  *nods heads*

Me:  *sweatdrop* …

A/N:  ………………I dislike school and being sick…  I hope all of you had a better Thanksgiving weekend than I did… I was sick… still am sick…  Here's the next chapter… hopefully not too covered with snot…

Chapter 9:  The Competition Continues!  Kenshin's Having Second Thoughts?!

                Kenshin was, in some ways happy, and in some ways more nervous than ever.  He knew he was going last… which meant he had to be better than everyone else…  Which is what made him so nervous.  What if he screwed up in front of everyone, no scratch that, what if he screwed up in front of _Kaoru_!  That would be the absolute worst.

                Sano saw his friend's predicament.  He tried everything to get Kenshin to lighten up, however, nothing was successful.

                Eventually, Kenshin got tired of his friend's attempts.  "Sano, I know what you are trying to do, but it's not working.  I… I don't understand why I'm so nervous…  No, actually I do… God, why me?!"

                Sano was about to try to comfort Kenshin when the announcer boomed over the crowds.

                "We are about to start the Adult/Teen's Division!  Our first skaters will be skating in 5 minutes!"

                After the announcement was made, the crowd cheered loudly.

                'Oh, God… what did I get myself into…?' Kenshin thought.

                                                                *                *                *                *

                "Finally the real competition is going to start!" Misao cried over the loud crowd.

                "Yea…" Kaoru replied deftly, her mind on other things not skateboard related.

                "Hey, Kaoru, I guess we will see how you boyfriend does!" Megumi teased, hoping to get some reaction out of Kaoru.  Unfortunately for Megumi, she got a violent reaction…

                "Kenshin is not my boyfriend!!!" Kaoru yelled as she smacked Megumi on the head with a rolled-up program.

                "I didn't say he was!" Megumi said, trying to defend herself from other oncoming whacks.

                "Yea, Kaoru, you were the one who said Kenshin… not Megumi…" Misao said, grinning slightly.

                Kaoru blushed a deep red.  "I must of heard incorrectly…"

                Megumi was about to say something when the announcer interrupted her.

                "Lady's and Gents!  Boy and girls!  We are now ready to begin the Adult/Teen's Division!  The first skater will be Soujiro Seta!  A newcomer this year, but he is rumored to have mad skills!"

                The audience cheered wildly as Soujiro got ready.  He flashed his trademark smile before dropping in.  He did many advance tricks, throwing in variations of traditional tricks.  He attempted to do a back flip, but couldn't quite get it, and fell hard.  He got up, smiling still, and finished his run.  His crash affected his score slightly, as he got an 80.4.

                "Let's give it up for Soujiro Seta!" the announcer told the crowd, who responded with gusto.

                Kaoru watched.  'He's nowhere as good as Kenshin is…'   At this, she allowed a small smile.

                "The next skater up is Enishi Yukishiro!  He has a very awkward style but he still gets the job done!" the announcer said.

                Enishi flashed a creepy grin, before spacing out totally, and dropping in.  The announcer was correct when he said Enishi had a weird style, he was practically laying down on his skateboard.  His tricks weren't all that fancy, but he threw in many variations and tweaks on traditional moves.  He finished his run up with flare, by grinding to a stop on the rain on the half pike and stepping off.  The audience roared with cheers and applause.  Enishi's score was 84.6, not bad, but not all that good.

                Kenshin was truly nervous at this point.  He was seeing all of these original moves and variations, while he had very few, almost none!  "Sano… I… I don't think I can do this…"

                ""What you mean, Kenshin?"

                "I can't skate… not like this…  I'm too nervous…  I… I know I'll screw up… in front of everyone… in front of Kaoru…"

                "Kenshin, shut up and listen to me!  You will not screw up!  You will not!  If you think you will then you will!  Just calm down.  Kaoru won't hate you anymore if you lose…  Wait, I take that back… never know what girls think… She might, but I doubt it…  So don't worry!  'K?"

                "Thanks, Sano…  Thanks a lot…" Kenshin sighed and sat back down.  'Just remember, I gotta win for Kaoru!  I must win for Kaoru!  Then I will quit… for Kaoru…'

A/N:  Phew!  Finished!  Well, not much to say 'cept my thanks to all those who reviewed!  Here we go:

Crystal:  Here's the next chapter!  Glad you loved that last super short one!

Skipper:  Well, you prediction is…. WRONG!!!  You will just have to wait and see what happens.

Shojin Takeru:  It's ok that you couldn't review…Yea I asked her…I'll try to keep up my good work…

Chiki:  Sorry it was short… I'll try to update sooner…  Interesting picks for if you were an anime character…

omochi:  Yea that's kinda what Kaoru is trying to do but isn't that successful with…  Here's the update…

SailorLoneStar:  It's ok if you couldn't review…  Hey!  Don't whack me!  Grrrrr… *glares at SailorLoneStar*  Yea you better run away…

mewlw:  That suck about ff.net not letting you post…  Yea you go do that…

Spellcaster the Diamond:  I know you would read my new serious fic…  I can see why you would want to be Lina…  Thanks for all of your nice comments…

Tifa-sama:  It's ok… Thank you.  Here's the next chapter.  Sorry, no Aoshi…  Next chapter though!  I promise!

Sano:  Thanks a lot.  Well I kept writing!  Enjoy!

Alannah:  Thanks you all of your nice things you said.  Here's my updated-ish thing-y.


	10. Aoshi's Up! Kenshin's in Trouble!

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  *sings* All I want for Christmas is to own Kenshin!  Own Kenshin!  Own Kenshin!  All I want for Christmas is to own Kenshin!  But it ain't gonna happen!  So I still don't own him…

A/N:  Merry Christmas!  Happy Hanukkah!  Good Kwanzaa!  And happy New Years too!  Here's a little Christmas present for my loyal readers!  Sorry it took so long… I was without Internet for 2 weeks…

Chapter 10:  Aoshi's Up!  Kenshin's in Trouble!

                Sano grinned his most cocky smile.  "I'm up next, dude!  Wish me luck!"

                Kenshin looked up at his friend.  "Good luck, man.  You're gonna need it with the was the competition is goin' today."

                "Aww, Kenshin, I'm hurt.  Does this mean you don't think I'm good?" Sano asked, with a mock frown on his face.

                "No, but against these hard hitters today, you don't stand a snowballs chance…" Kenshin smirked, 'I got him there!'

                "Well, I'll just have to go and prove you wrong, then!" Sano said as he prepared to skate.

                'I always have a way of getting him motivated.  Maybe I should become a motivational speaker…' Kenshin thought as he imagined life as a motivational speaker.  (A/N:  BBBOOORRRIIINNNGGG!!!)

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Megumi's face lit up a bit when Sanosuke's name was announced on the overhead.

                Misao noticed this change, and decided to take advantage of it.  "Oh, Megumi, don't you think that skater there is hot?" Misao baited, saying slightly dreamily.

                "Yea…" Megumi answered absent mindedly, before realizing what she said, and tried to make a quick fix.  "Er, I mean, yea, for a stupid rooster head, that is…"

                Misao laughed, "Yea sure, Megumi.  Don't go all Kaoru on us!"

                Kaoru was totally oblivious to the conversation at hand, her thoughts on, who else, Kenshin.  'When will he come up?  I want to see how truly good he is…'

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Sano stood at the top of the half pike, basking in the glory that was his fans.  He had almost as many as Kenshin.  He signaled them to calm the noise down, and they gladly did.  As soon as Sano dropped in, the cheers began again.  He did many complicated tricks, which, to him, was rather easy. 

                Meanwhile, someone was studying his every move.  Aoshi stood, leaning against the fence, watching Sanosuke.  'No competition.  The only reason I'm here is because if Himura.'  Aoshi glanced at Kenshin.  'He is the only reason I am here.  I will defeat him, and become the best skater in the state!'

                Sanosuke finished his run with flying colors.  He got a score of 87.9.  He towered over Kenshin and looked down on him, very cocky.  "Oh ye of little faith…" Sano said to Kenshin to get his attention.

                "I never said I doubted you, Sano.  You put that into your own head," Kenshin smirked.

                "Why you…" Sano said as he put Kenshin into a headlock.

                "Hey, Sano!  I need my head back, please.  Anytime now…" Kenshin said while trying to struggle out of Sano's strong grasp.

                Sano finally let him go, dusting off his hands in the process.  Kenshin fixed his hair back out of his face.  Kenshin's face suddenly went serious.  He knew who was up next, and that was Aoshi Shinomori.

                Aoshi walked by Kenshin and Sano and let a cold stare fall on the both of them.  Kenshin watched as Aoshi walked past, while Sano glared.  Aoshi never even blinked as he walked by and took his place on the half pike.

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Now it was Misao's turn to get all giddy when she spotted the boy she had seen before.  She also finally learned his name, Aoshi Shinomori.  The name just rolled off of her tongue, if she had enough courage to say it out loud.  And it was also Megumi's turn to get back at Misao.

                "Oh, now look whose getting all school-girl-ish!  It's little weasel girl, Misao!" Megumi laughed her trademark "Ohohohohoho" laugh, as Misao got very angry.  Then suddenly, she smiled.

                "Yes, it's true.  At least I have more courage then the both of you do!" Misao said, once again, gaining one-upmanship.  "Now be quiet!  Aoshi's run is about to start!"

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Aoshi stood on the half pike as the audience cheered, hoping for a good show from this other new comer.  Aoshi did not fail to disappoint.  As he dropped in, he did a kick-flip transition.  He did flips, twists, turns, grinds and anything else you can think of during his run.  He did it all plus extra.  

He even ended his run in a flourish as he landed on his feet after completing a double back flip 720.  He got the highest score of the day with a 92.76.  As he walked by Kenshin and Sano, he knew he had shocked the two boys.

Kenshin couldn't believe what he had just saw.  Aoshi had not only raised the bar, he totally annihilated it!  Kenshin's stomach began to do flips like Aoshi had.  'I think I'm screwed…'  And he was up next…

A/N:  There ya go!  A little longer, I think?  Give me ideas!  Feedback!  You tell me what you wanna see!  I aim to please you!  Here are my thank-yous:

Spellcaster the Diamond:  Well the last line was meant to be sad…  Yea I made Soujiro fall… so what?  *gets killed by Soujiro fangirls*  Ack!  Sorry, sorry!!

Sakura:  Thank you, here's the update.

Chiki:  Sorry it was short… I'm working on that.  Don't cry!  Please don't!  I can do whatever I want to Kenshin.  I control his fate!!!  MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!  Erm, sorry…

K-chan:  Yea, poor nervous Kenshin…

Vesca:  Don't hurt Kenshin… Sano does that enough for him…

C-chan:  Yep, love sure does mess up the mind…  But my mind is messed up without love, so I wonder what it would be like with love… O_o scary thought…

SwtRKGurlz:  Here's a, hopefully, longer chapter.  What is it with everyone and hurting Kenshin?  Poor guy…

Crystal:  Well, you will have to wait to find out of Kenshin wins.

Shizuka:  Here's an update…  Hope you like it!

SailorLoneStar:  Well, I postponed Kenshin another chapter!  Ha!  Ok, you are kinda confusing me with your logic on Kaoru and her situation…  You better give me my memory card back!  Don't you dare forget!!!!!!

Skipper:  Hope your concert was good.  I just had one too…  Thank you for complementing me on that last line… I think a lot of people liked it…

omochi:  Good luck on learning how to skateboard.

mewlw:  Sorry it was short.   I'm working on making it longer…

Rika-chan:  Grr… what do you mean 'it's better than I expected'?!  Grrr… *gets happy again*  Oh well, I don't think that will work out…  I will make Sano and Megumi go to the prom, of course.  That would be interesting if you did make a cameo… I might do that…

Bishojo-Battousai:  Good, you agree when I say "CHEMISTRY SHOULD BURN, ROT, AND DIE!!!"  Sorry, I am trying to make the chapters longer…

Serena:  Thanks.  I am working on the shortness.

Chibi Maylan:  Thank you for your nice comments.  I love K&K a lot!!

Shiko:  Thanks.  I'm working to make my chaps longer.  You'll see what happens to Kenshin, and him and Kaoru.  I'll think about the cameo thing… might be interesting.

Angelmoxie:  Thanks for thinking my story is very… entertaining.

LYKAchan:  Thanks for loving my story.  I love newcomers to my list of reviewers!  Well the reason I put that for one reviewer is because I know her personally in real life, so I was just kidding around with her.  Well here is the update.  Hope you enjoy it!

Chibi-Yukito:  Here's the update.  Hope you like it!


	11. Kenshin's Up Finally! And He Comes Tumb...

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  Still don't own a thing… so don't sue…

A/N:  I love Winter Break!  That's why I'm updating so soon.   I'm trying to get as much out as I possibly can…   Hope you like it!

I would also like to give a special thanks to Spellcaster the Diamond for helping me out on this chappie!  Thanks so much!!

Chapter 11:  Kenshin's Turn Finally!  And He Comes Tumbling Down…

                Kenshin sighed.  This was it.  It was now his turn to go.  He stared out into the crowds… looking for the one person who could give him inspiration.  However, there were so many faces, so many people, he couldn't find her… he couldn't find Kaoru.  _His_ Kaoru.  Well, technically not his yet… but will soon be… maybe…

                This run would be his first of 2, but he wanted his runs to be the best they could…  He put his head down, letting his bangs cover his eyes. 

                Sano noticed how odd his friend had been acting.  He walked over and gave Kenshin a sturdy pat on the back, which nearly caused Kenshin to go flat on the ground.

                "Hey, bud, you're gonna do fine.  No worries!" Sano said, trying his best to cheer up his very angst-y friend.

                Kenshin never even looked up.  He was trembling because he was so nervous.  And it was only made worse when the announcer came onto the P.A. system.

                                                                *                *                *                *

                "Ladies and Gents!  Here is THE skater you have all been waiting for.  The most popular skater from Onaka High School, here is the one, the only, Kenshin Himura!!!" the announcer yelled.

                The cheers from the crowds were deafening.  Never had there been more applause that day.  They all awaiting any cool moves he had to show them.

                Kaoru sat up and came out of her own little world.  'Kenshin!  He's next!  Ohmigod!!!'

Megumi and Misao saw Kaoru's face turn red and decided to have a little fun with their friend.  "Kaoru and Kenshin, sittin' in a tree!  K-I-S-S-I-N-G!!"

"Shut up!  Geesh you guys!" Kaoru yelled at them, stopping their little chant in mid verse.

Megumi and Misao went back to sitting quietly as Kaoru waited anxiously to see Kenshin again.

                                                *                *                *                *

Kenshin made his way up to the platform and stood there, waiting and nowhere near ready to do this.  Kenshin gave the signal that he was ready to begin.  And as if this day could get anymore ironic, the song that played while Kenshin was doing his run was none other than "Sk8er Boi" by Avril Lavigne.

'The story of my life…' Kenshin thought as he dropped in.  He did many simple board tricks and grinds, pausing slightly at the end of one for added suspense.

Kaoru watched with hearts in her eyes, now fully aware of the depths of her feelings for him.  "Isn't he soooooooo cool?!" Kaoru asked to no one in particular, but Misao and Megumi responded anyway with a quick nod of their heads.

Back to the action, Kenshin was doing spins now, throwing in combos left and right.  'Should I do it now?' Kenshin asked himself.  But before he had a chance to answer himself, he was in the process of trying the one trick that had eluded him for so long, the 900 front-flip kick-flip.

Kenshin got through it, except his landing was wwwwaaaayyyy off.  He landed on his left arm, instead of his board.  There was a sickening sort of crunch as Kenshin slowly slid to a stop.  He didn't move after he stopped sliding.

Kaoru put her hand on her mouth.  'Ohmigod!  Kenshin!'  She ran out of her spot, followed closely by Megumi and Misao.

Sano, by this time, had reached Kenshin; worry seemingly etched on Sano's face.  Kaoru finally reached Kenshin just as he began to return to consciousness.  The paramedics had also just arrived.

"Kenshin!  Kenshin!  Are you OK?!" Kaoru cried, hoping to catch Kenshin's attention through all of the commotion.

Kenshin carefully turned his head towards Kaoru.  "Look, it's an angel.  I must be in heaven…"

Kaoru gasped as Kenshin said this when looking at her.  'Did he really mean this?  Or is it because he is really out of it?'

Kenshin passed out soon after saying what he said.  He got loaded onto the ambulance with an initial diagnosis of a broken arm (no duh!).

Kaoru was so worried for Kenshin.  She was sure that he might not be able to continue the competition… his last one… because of her.  She mentally kicked herself for doing this to Kenshin, because, in a way, this was all her fault.

Right there, in the middle of the chaos, Kaoru began to cry.

A/N:  AHH!!  Don't hurt me!!!  Sorry!!!  I didn't mean for this to be soooo sad!!  *bows apologetically*  Gomen!!!!  Well here are my thank yous:

Fuuko-san:  Welcome, new reviewer!  Thank you for your nice words of encouragement.  I'm working on the shortness and update times…

Chibi-Yukito:  Glad you liked the update.  Here is another update.

SwtRkGurlz:  Oro…  O…K…  Very interesting review…  Here is the update.

Kriska:  Well, Kenshin might win and he might not.  Here is the update!  Enjoy!

Chiki:  Don't be nervous!  Yes I was without internet for 2 weeks…  Yea, hit that fan-fiction!!  Kenshin… didn't quiet make it…  Don't burst!

moonblossom:  Thanks.  It's ok that you couldn't review.  That stuff happens sometimes.

omochi:  I'm kinda good on my roller blades…  Here is the update.

Demon Wolf:  Here is more for you!

Crystal:  Here's another update.  Wait and see what happens to Kenshin.

Skipper:  I tried to keep Aoshi in character.  Here is the next chappie!

mewlw:  Yes, it was an evil cliffhanger.  And here is another!

Shiko:  Thank you.  Well I kinda am mean to Kenshin in this chappie, but he will be ok… don't worry!

Tifa-sama:  Nope I ain't dead, only brain-dead!  Thank you for all of your nice comments.  My story is FAR from over!  After the competition, then the Dance/Prom sorta thingy has to happen.  Remember Megumi's plan?  That's where it will take effect, and that means more drama for Kaoru and Kenshin!  Here is the update!

LYKAchan:  No problem for the personalized response.  Yea, I got lotsa friends who are fic writers.  Here is more for you to read.  Don't worry, Kenshin will be ok…

Spellcaster the Diamond:  Yea, Aoshi is almost too good.  Here is the next chappie.  I'm surprised on how many reviews I have.  I truly am.  I feel loved…

SailorLoneStar:  Yea, don't strain yourself.  OW!!  I was without internet for 2 weeks person!  I will make Kenshin do what I want… I control his destiny!  After reading your review, I'm lost too…  I am not your "oh-great-master"…


	12. To the Hospital We Go! Kenshin's Awake!

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  I'm too cheap to go out and buy Kenshin from his owner, so that's why I don't own him…

A/N:  BWAHAHAHA!!  I can be so evil sometimes!  Well I'm not today!  Which is the reason for the very quick update.  I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that some people were mad at me for hurting Kenshin.  But have no fear!  Kenshin will prevail, somehow…

Chapter 12:  To the Hospital We Go!  Kenshin's Awake?!

                Kenshin was rushed to the hospital as fast as the ambulance could go.  Sano, unfortunately, could not come due to the competition.  Kaoru was back crying her heart out over what she 'had caused.'  Kenshin wavered in between consciousness and unconsciousness.  When he was conscious, he was in uncontrollable and unbelievable pain.

                Finally, the pain was too much for him and he passed out for the rest of the trip to the hospital.

The doctors and nurses at the hospital couldn't believe how badly Kenshin's arm was broken.  They knew that something bad had happened to this poor boy.

                                                *                *                *                *

Kaoru continued to cry, though her sobs had ceased.  Her tears continued to fall down her cheeks.  Megumi and Misao were finally able to find Kaoru in the slowly thinning crowd.  Misao hugged her crying friend to her and signaled Megumi to go and get her car warmed up.

"C'mon, Kaoru, let's go," Misao said, trying her best to keep her voice steady.  'Kaoru is really effected by this.  Well, no duh, she just saw the person she cares the most about take a horrible spill.'

"Where *sniff* where are we *sniff* going?" Kaoru asked, wondering what Misao was taking about.

"We're gonna go pay someone a little visit," Misao told her.

"Oh, who?" Kaoru wondered.

"It doesn't matter right now.  Come on, let's go…" Misao said, gently tugging her in the right direction of Megumi's car.

The last thing Kaoru heard before she left the vicinity of the Skate Park was:  "Ladies and Gentlemen, we will try our best to keep you posted on the condition of Kenshin Himura.  There will be a 30 minute intermission before the second round…"

                                                *                *                *                *

The car ride to the hospital where Kenshin was at was a silent one, except for Kaoru's occasional sniffling.  Megumi and Misao were very worried for their friend, who had just seen the love of her life nearly end his own.  Misao thought how it would feel if something like that happened to Aoshi, and Megumi thought briefly about Sano, thinking he could use a few lumps on the head.

Misao looked into the back seat of Megumi's 1990 Honda to where Kaoru was seated.  "Kaoru, if you don't mind me asking, why are you crying so much?"

Kaoru looked up, a very pained look in her eyes.  "It's because… it's my fault…  All of it…"

"How do you figure that?" Megumi asked, not turning around, being the good driver she is.

"Because… if I had never met Kenshin, he would not be quitting.   And if he wasn't quitting, he would have had more time to practice that move.  And if had had more time to practice that move, he might have nailed it.  And if he did, then he wouldn't be in the hospital right now!" Kaoru explained, tears streaming from her eyes.

Misao and Megumi looked at each other and they realized something… Kaoru was right!  But they would never admit that out loud… especially with Kaoru in the condition she was in.  So, they decided to lie like dogs.

"Don't be silly, Kaoru!  That move was so complicated looking, Kenshin would probably never be able to pull it off!" Misao said, trying to reason with Kaoru.

However, all she succeeded to do was make Kaoru feel worse.

"Good job, weasel-girl!" Megumi yelled at Misao, trying to whack Misao with a program, but missing.

"I'm sorry!  I didn't mean it like that!" Misao tried to cover her blunder with a fake laugh.

The argument in the front ceased when they heard a strange sound coming from the back seat.  It was Kaoru, and she was laughing.  Misao and Megumi couldn't believe it.

"Kaoru, are you ok?" Misao carefully inquired.

Kaoru suppressed her laughter enough to talk.  "No, but seeing you two arguing makes me laugh."

"Oh," Misao said simply.

"By the way, you guys never told me where we were going," Kaoru said matter-of-factly.

Misao and Megumi looked at each other.

Misao answered, "We are going to the hospital… to see how Kenshin is doing."

Kaoru froze.  She couldn't go and see him, not after what happened.  However, it was too late, they were there…

                                                *                *                *                *

Kenshin woke up to the smell of… well whatever hospitals smell like… and wondered where he was.  He tried to sit up, but stopped because of the pain that shot through him.  All of a sudden, all the memories of what happened came flooding back into his mind.  He looked at his left arm and, as expected, it was in a cast from his fingers to his elbow.

'Crap…' he sighed audibly.  Then the last thing he saw at the skate park finally came back to him.  'Kaoru… you were there… and you looked like you were worried…  Why were you worried for a low life skater like me?  Is it possible you feel the same way towards me as I feel about you?'

Kenshin just decided to lay there, wondering how the competition was going.  His last competition was going on without him…

                                                *                *                *                *

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to see him unless you are somehow related to him!" the receptionist, rather irritably, told Misao, Kaoru, and Megumi.

"Oh, but ma'am, this young girl right here," Megumi paused to point at Kaoru, "is, in a way, related to Kenshin."

"Oh?  How so?"

"She's his boyfriend!" Megumi said with a wide grin.

If Kaoru had been eating or drinking, she would have spit out whatever was in her mouth.  But instead of that, she just settled for blushing like mad.

"Megumi!" Kaoru hissed.

"Kaoru, you want to see Kenshin again, right?"  Here, Kaoru nodded.  "Then play along!" Megumi hissed back at Kaoru.

"Is that so?  Well, there's nothing against not letting boyfriends/girlfriends in to see patients.  Just sign in here," the receptionist handed Kaoru the clipboard.  After Kaoru had finished, she handed it back.

"Ok, Miss Kamiya, you may see him now."

Kaoru bowed her thanks.  Her, Misao, and Megumi began to walk away when the receptionist stopped them.

"Hold on there!  Only Miss Kamiya may see him!"

Kaoru looked worriedly at Megumi and Misao.

"Go on, Kaoru.  Anyway, you are the only one that is important to him," Megumi encouraged.

Kaoru blushed at least 20 different shades of red before nodding.  She went up to the room where Kenshin was staying.

Kaoru took a deep breath.  'Ok, Kaoru, you can do this.  Hopefully he is still unconscious…'  Kaoru opened the door and was surprised to see Kenshin sitting up (after many attempts).

"…Kaoru?  What are you doing here?" Kenshin asked, more than a little surprised to see her there.

A/N:  Yes, I am evil.  I will end it there for now…  Next chappie will hopefully be full of senseless WAFF.  Here are my thank yous:

Crystal:  Don't worry about Kenshin… he'll be alright… especially since Kaoru is there… *wink, wink*

SailorLoneStar:  I AN NOT YOUR SENSEI!  I AM NOT YOUR SHISHOU!  I AM NOT YOUR MASTER!  I AM NOT YOUR SEMPAI!  Stop calling me such!  You must be evil… I feel a little bad for Soujiro since he is in your care at the moment…  You better update…

Val:  Yay, another new reviewer!  He remembered Kaoru… that's for sure…

Fuuko-san:  Oh, so you lied that line?  Well, I hope I have a few more touching chappies…  I'm trying to keep up my good work.  Happy New Year to you too.

omochi:  I will forgive the fact that you misspelled Kenshin's name in your review.  Kenshin will be alright…

LYKAchan:  You will have to wait and see what happens to Kenshin.  Remember, the competition is not over yet…  I don't think the midnight idea will be a good idea… especially he might be spending it with Kaoru… Naw, I'm just messing… at least for now I am…  No, actually it was his first run… he still has one more…  Hopefully this is soon enough for you… hehehe…

K-chan:  Well, this one is a little longer… enjoy!

Kriska:  You think I'm cool?  Kenshin will be fine… and this chappie explains why Kaoru blames herself.  Here's the update.  Happy New Year right back at ya.

cleoclaudia:  Another new reviewer.  Kenshin will find a way to go to the Prom/Dance thing-y…  Here is the next chapter and Happy New Year to you.

Chibi Maylan:  Happy New Year to you.  Yea… I think it hurts…  I don't know for sure… I've  never broken my arm…   He'll be fine.  Here is more for you!

Spellcaster the Diamond:  There will be more K&K moment's next chapter.  No worries!  Yea, I'm amazed so many people like my story.  Yea, that last idea you  had has been your only good one… nah, I'm just kidding…

swtrkgurlz:  I had to end it right there!  Cliffhanger!  Yea, but if I did put that, it would have ruined  the moment that had been created…  Yea, I'm with you on  that last part…

Tifa-sama:  Here is another fast update!  Yea, you were wrong.  I don't trust hyper people…  Yea, that isn't but there is a method to my madness for once…  Yea, I had one funny part in that chappie…  Enjoy this update!


	13. Hospital Room Confessions and Speeding R...

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  I'm too cheap to go out and buy Kenshin from his owner, so that's why I don't own him…

A/N:  Ahh!  Senseless WAFF alert!  I'm not that good at writing WAFF so go easy on the criticism…  Oh, it was pointed out by Spellcaster the Diamond that I made an error in my last chappie…  I'm so sorry about that…   I meant to say, "She's his girlfriend" not whatever I had put.  GOMEN!!  Forgive this lowly author…  With all this said, on with the senseless WAFF!!!

Chapter 13:  Hospital Room Confessions and Speeding Records Broken!

                "…Kaoru?  What are you doing here?" Kenshin questioned, seeing Kaoru standing in his doorway.

                Kaoru blushed a deep shade of red.  "Umm… well… I…" 'Should I say it?'  "I was… worried about you…"  'There!  I said it!'

                Kenshin had a look of pure shock on his face.  "You… you were worried about me?"

                Kaoru nodded.

                "Why?" Kenshin asked.  'Does it have anything to do with thing I said to her today?'

                Kaoru hadn't been expecting this question.  'Oh crap!  Now what?!'  "Um, well, because you are still a human being, even though you are a skater, and I was… scared for you when I saw that horrible fall…"

                'She was scared for me?  Does that mean she does have feelings for me?'

                'Ohmigod, that was such a lame excuse!  Why can't I just come out and tell him?!'  "Does your arm hurt?" Kaoru asked, worry evident in her voice.

                Kenshin smirked, "What do you think?"   'I hope that didn't sound too rude…'

                Kaoru smiled, finding the mood was considerably lightened, "Sorry, that was kind of an obvious question…  It's just, I've never broken my arm so I wasn't sure how much it hurt."

                "Well, let  me try and sum it up for you…  Um…  OK, here we go.  Think of the worst possible pain in the whole world and multiply it by 1000,"  Kenshin said, slightly grinning.

                Kaoru paused to think.  'What is the most painful thing in the world?'  'Denial by someone you love,' the other part of her brain answered.  "Oh…  That would mean it's very painful…"

                Kenshin looked at her as if she had said the most obvious thing in the world.

                Kaoru tried her best to laugh at the expression on Kenshin's face, but failed miserably.  "Um… well…"

                "You look like you have been crying," Kenshin stated, matter-of-factly.  He had noticed her red, puffy eyes, and that worried him a bit.

                "Yea…" Kaoru trailed off, not knowing how to respond.

                "Why?" Kenshin asked, somehow finding some strength to stand up.  He slowly and carefully made his way over to Kaoru.

                Kaoru blushed a deeper red, if that was possible.  'What is he?  Mr. Question Man?'  "Well, it was because…  I cried because… you got hurt… and I was scared for you… because…"

                "Because?" Kenshin asked, now standing right in front of her.

                It was then that Kaoru noticed that he was only a couple inches taller than her.  'It's almost as if   we were built for each other…'  "Because…  I…  care about you… a lot… and I…"

                Kaoru's explanation was cut off when Kenshin suddenly hugged her close to him.  He couldn't believe his ears!  She had said she cared for him!  And when Kaoru had brought her arms around his shoulders, that just made it all the more better!

                Kenshin just hugged her tighter, careful, though, not to upset his wounds.

                Kaoru couldn't believe that this was happening either.  'Does this mean he feels the same that I do?'  'Of course it does, idiot!'  Unfortunately for Kaoru, the hug was soon over.  Kenshin took one step back and looked into her eyes.

                "Kenshin…" Kaoru began.

                Kenshin put his finger to her lips to silence her.  Obviously, he had something he wanted to say something.  "Remember when I said I had to quit skateboarding because of that person who didn't care for me in my current position?"  Here, Kaoru nodded.  "That person, Kaoru, was you.  I didn't think I had a chance with you when I was a skater, so I decided to quit, and maybe then…"

                This time, it was Kenshin who was silenced with a finger to his lips.  "Kenshin, I realized something.  I realized that you can't judge a book by its cover.  You may be a skater on the outside, but on the inside, you are a caring, kind person with heart and determination.  I'm sorry it took me so long to realize this…"

                Kaoru paused slightly, remembering her finger had been on his lips the whole time.  She blushed as she moved her finger, and then continued, "With that being said, you don't have to quit for me.  I find you cute just the way you are."  Kaoru blushed even more.  'Did I just say that out-loud?'

                Kenshin smiled.  "Good, 'cause I don't think this would really count as a last competition anyway…"

                Suddenly, an idea came to Kaoru.  "Hold on a sec!"  She whipped out her cell phone and dialed Megumi's number.  "Yea, Megumi?  Listen, I have a plan to get Kenshin outta here and back to his competition.  But I'm gonna need yours and Misao's help…  When we get to the main hall, somehow distract the receptionist so Kenshin and me can seek out.  'Kay, be ready in 5 minutes.  Bye."  Kaoru closed her cell phone and looked at Kenshin.  "Well?  Are you gonna stand there all day?  Your competition is going on without you."

                Kenshin quickly nodded his head and stepped out of the door, holding it open for Kaoru, of course.  They walked down the hall, since most of the doctors didn't even know Kenshin was a patient.  When they got to the waiting area, Kaoru gave Megumi a signal.

                Megumi and Misao got up and walked over to the lone receptionist.  They began to try to strike up a conversation with the receptionist, and she was happy for the conversation.

                Kaoru and Kenshin made a hasty exit.  When Megumi and Misao saw this, they dismissed themselves quickly, leaving the poor receptionist bewildered.

                                                                *                *                *                *

                Kaoru and Kenshin got into the back seat of Megumi's car and Misao and Megumi took up their normal spots.

                "To the skate-park, and hurry!" Kaoru told Megumi.  Megumi nodded her head and took off.  Misao looked into the back seat and saw Kenshin's and Kaoru's hands lightly holding each other's.

                Misao grinned widely and decided to have some fun.  "What happened in that room?  Anything we should know about?"

                Kenshin and Kaoru blushed a deep shade of red and shook their heads 'no' violently.  However, their hands remained in the same place.

                Misao started to laugh as Megumi speeded along, probably breaking every traffic law known to man.

A/N:  Is that enough WAFF for you people?!  It better be, cuz I don't think I can write anymore right now…  Well, here are my thank yous:

Skipper:  Sorry that I was not nice to him in chap. 11…  Is this enough WAFF for you?

Demon Wolf:  Here's more, no da.  Don't cry no more, no da.  Enjoy, no da.

Chiki:  It's ok you couldn't log in…  FF.net was doing the same thing to me too…  I hope you enjoyed  this chapter…  Happy New Years again.

Crystal:  Hope you like.  Did you like Kenshin's reaction?

sammy-chan:  Don't kill me.  Everything is wrong with that…  No, you are not…  sammy-chan with wine… *shivers*  Yea… sure…  I'm trying to be as original as possible but that's hard for fic writers in this category…  Is this enough detail?  I wrote more… enjoy…

omochi:  I'm not really sure about the boyfriend/girlfriend thing… I just used it as an excuse to get Kaoru into his room…  Yea, his arm is pretty much like that…

Val:  Sorry about the cliff hanger…  Here is the next chapter!  Happy New Years!

Kriska:  Cuz I'm evil…  Here's the update.  And Happy New Years again to you too.

Kamimura Kaoru:  Again, cuz I'm evil.  I hope this enough WAFF for you… it's not my best genre to write in so I hope it turned out ok…

Fuuko-san:  Thank you for all of your support.   Happy New Year.

Grace Ann:  I will finish it… no need for threats…  I'm planning to do that…  Thank you.

Spellcaster the Diamond:  Here's you senseless WAFF.  Sorry about the mistake!  *bows*  Forgive sessha, please…  Please don't smile like Soujiro… the guy creeps me out to no end…

White Plum:  Here is the next chapter.  Please enjoy it…

Luli451:  Here's  the update!  On the 3rd!  Enjoy!  I feel sorry for you… no computer… that sux…

K-chan:  Thanks.  Yes, evil cliffhanger!

RaDiCaL DrEaMeR:  Here's the net chapter.  I do?  Really?  Happy New Year!

LYKAchan:  Good, you like it.  Well, I think I answered your questions in this chapter.  Sorry, but I just had to do it…  Reviewers never waste my time nor space…


	14. Kenshin’s Back in the Competition! And ...

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  Nope… still don't own a thing…

A/N:  GOMEN!!!!!  I am SOOOO very sorry this chapter is so late!!  It's because my computer got hacked… and I had to reformat it… and I just got it back up…  GOMEN again!  Forgive this lowly author…  Hopefully this chapter can make up for the long wait…  GOMEN a thousand more times!!

Chapter 14:  Kenshin's Back in the Competition!  And More Sweet Moments!

            Sano sighed.   'I wonder how Kenshin is doing…   This totally sucks… and it was his last competition.'  Sano watched as the second round was about to begin.  'I wish I could be by his side, like a friends supposed to be… but I can't let that jerk Aoshi win…'

            The announcer came over the load speaker and announced that the second round was starting.  Sano looked at the crowd as they began filling in the seats once again.  'Wish me luck, buddy…'

                                                *            *            *            *

            Megumi drove at break-neck speeds.  She almost got into a couple of accidents, though she blamed it on the other driver.  Misao, who had gotten used to Megumi's wild driving, said nothing.  However… poor Kenshin and Kaoru…  
            "AHH!  MEGUMI!  Be careful!  That one almost hit!" Kaoru cried as she clung to Kenshin's neck, who at this moment was swirly eyed from lack of oxygen.

            "Calm down, Kaoru!  I know what I'm doing.  Just… try not to kill poor Kenshin back there!" Megumi said, looking in the rearview mirror at the couple.

            Kaoru looked over at Kenshin.  He was beginning to turn blue.  "Oh, Kenshin!  I'm so sorry!  DON'T DIE!!!" Kaoru cried while shaking Kenshin, hoping shaking could bring back the dead… or in this case… a passed-out-person-who-passed-out-due-to-the-lack-of-oxygen-by-the-strangling-caused-by-a-scared-person.  And guess what?!  It worked!

            "K-K-Kaoru!  Y-y-you can stop shaking m-m-me now!!" a fully recovered Kenshin cried.

            "Oh, Kenshin!  You're alive!  Thank goodness!" Kaoru hugged him, gently this time.

            "Yeesh… Between Megumi's driving and Kaoru being scared, I'll be surprised if I make it back to the competition alive!" Kenshin said, slightly blushing from Kaoru's hug.

            "WHAT WAS THAT, KENSHIN?!" Megumi and Kaoru both yelled, suddenly infuriated.

            "Oro…" Kenshin muttered his infamous catch phrase.  'This is gonna be one lloooonnnggg ride…'

                                                *            *            *            *

            When they finally reached the competition, Kenshin had a few more lumps then when he had left from the hospital.  Kenshin wanted to sneak up on Sano and give him the scare of a lifetime.

            'This is gonna be so sweet!' Kenshin thought evilly.

            Poor little unsuspecting Sano stood watching as Enishi finished his run.  The score had gotten slightly better than from the first round.  Soujiro had gotten a 90.77 and Enishi got a 90.2.  Sano sighed…  'Well, I'm up next…'

            Just as Sano was about to redo his stretches someone came up from behind and stopped.  Sano froze and waited.  All he heard was the person's heavy breathing.  He slowly turned around and was greeted with the most hideous face Kenshin could come up  with.

            "CRAP!!!" Sano yelled as well as some other choice profanities, but since this fic is rated "G", they will not be mentioned, just use your imagination people!  When Sano finally calmed down, he heard a very familiar laugh.  "Kenshin… you  rotten little…!" Sano was about to choke the daylights out of Kenshin, until his brain finally registered what he had just said.

            "Kenshin?!  That really you?!" Sano said in amazement.

            Kenshin nodded, "In the flesh… and some plaster…"

            Sano gathered Kenshin into a big bear hug.  "What are you doin' back here, buddy?  Shouldn't you still be at the hospital?"

            "I busted outta there… with a little help, of course…" Kenshin gestured towards the girls.

            "Heh… I shoulda known…  So are you gonna compete or just watch?"

            "What do you think?" Kenshin responded, looking at Sano like he had just asked an obvious question.

            "Well you better go check in again.  I gotta run!  I'm up!"

            "Good luck!  See ya on the other side!" Kenshin smacked his friend on the shoulder and began to walk towards the judge's table.

            Kaoru, who had been watching this from a few feet away, ran to catch up with Kenshin as the rest of the girls went to find some seats.  Kaoru took Kenshin's hand and  together they walked towards the dreaded judge's table.

            Before Kenshin could say a thing, a judge spoke.

            "Aren't you the moron who fell trying to do that hard trick?" the judge asked, puffing smoke out as he talked (A/N: Guess who the judge is for bonus points!).

            Kenshin gulped at the harshness of the judge's words.  Kaoru squeezed his hand for comfort.  "Yes sir."

            "Shouldn't you still be at the hospital then?"

            "Well, sir, they thought I was well enough to come back and compete."

            "I doubt that.  Especially with a cast like that on your arm," the judge smirked.

            "But, sir, I have to compete!  Please!  I don't care how hard you judge me!  Just let me compete!" Kenshin begged.

            "You have guts, boy.  No one I've ever talked to shouted at me like that.  Don't think I'll judge you any easier because of that cast."

            "Of course not, sir!  Thank you!" Kenshin bowed slightly and smiled at Kaoru, who returned it.

            By the time that Kenshin had finished with the judge, Sano had finished his run.

            "What's the score Big-S?" Kenshin called out to Sano.

            "Big-S… I'll Big-S you…" Sano muttered, hating the nickname newly assigned to him by Kenshin.  "Umm… 91.67"

            "Not bad…" Kenshin said, nodding his head thoughtfully.

            "Why you!  I let the Big-S thing go… but now you pushed it too far!" Sano yelled as he put Kenshin in a headlock and giving him a noogie.

            "Owww!  OWW!" Kenshin cried as his arm tapped Sano's side.

            Sano let Kenshin go.  "You gonna be ok with that arm, Kenshin?"

            "Yea,  I'll just not do any tricks with this arm…"

            As this exchange was going on, Aoshi had gone on his run and had scored  a 95.89, a very hard score to beat.

            Aoshi walked by, glanced at Sano and Kenshin, stopped, did a double check, and walked over.

            "I thought you had gone to the hospital…" Aoshi said in his monotone voice.

            "Well, I'm back.  And your 95.89 is not impossible to beat," Kenshin said, glaring at Aoshi.

            "For you… it will be…" Aoshi then turned and walked away.

            Kenshin sighed.  'I hate that guy…'

            Just as Kenshin was about to continue his thoughts as to how much he hated Aoshi, the announcer, thankfully, interrupted.

            "Ladies and gentlemen!  We have very exciting news!  Kenshin Himura has returned from the Hospital and is ready to skate!  So without further ado, here he is!  KENSHIN HIMURA!!!"  
            The crowd went wild.  The cheers were so loud, no one could even hear their own thoughts.

            Kenshin began his stretching exercises and warm-ups.  Kaoru watched him, and blushed every time she got a good view of his…  ahem… butt…

            Kenshin was more nervous than before.  He had told Aoshi he would win… but could he really?

            Kaoru walked over to him once his stretching was done, and put a hand on his shoulder.  She then glanced down at his left arm and got an idea.

            "I'll be right back, Kenshin!" she called as she was already running off.

            Kenshin was totally confused.  'Why did she run off?'

            When Kaoru came back, she had a pen.  She carefully lifted Kenshin's left arm and began writing on it.  She kept it hidden with her had.  When she finished, she moved her hand and let Kenshin read what she had wrote:

                        'Kenshin, don't worry so much!  Relax and you will do fine!

                        Trust in yourself as much as I trust you!  You are the best skater

                        I know!  I believe in you!  See ya on the other side!

                                                            --Kaoru'

            Kenshin smiled a truly happy smile.  Kaoru returned it.  She leaned in enough to give him a quick peck on the cheek.  He blushed almost instantly.

            "Good luck, Kenshin.  I'll be cheering for you!" Kaoru said as she went to sit in the crowd.

            Kenshin now had an air of confidence around him.  'If Kaoru thinks I can do this then I can!'

A/N:  Again I'm sorry for the lack of updating!  School has been mean and so has my computer!  Here are my thank-yous:

K-chan:  Here's some more WAFF for you!

Spellcaster the Diamond:  Sorry for the long wait… Here's some more WAFF!

omochi:  Yep, Kenshin's still gonna compete!  He just won't use that arm.  I think he had good insurance…

Val:  Thank you.  The holidays were nice… but not after them obviously…

Dark Charizard:  Don't hurt no one, no da!

Vesca:  Yup, it does.

Fuuko-san:  Yea it was, huh?

Suzuki Rei:  Well, it's not over yet… and I will add other couples later…

haruko:  He won't use his arm!  And more WAFF!

C-Chan:  It's not over yet!

marstanuki:  Me too!

Crystal:  Well he's blushing now!

Kriska:  I kinda wish that too…  It's not gonna end soon… hopefully…

Shiko:  Thanks!  I'm glad that my longer chaps please you!  And here's more long awaited WAFF!

Ann-dono:  Thanks.  Well here's the next chap.

Keziah:  Well, I'm glad you did read it.  Yup… can't judge what you don't really know.

Chiki:  I'm glad you liked the WAFF.  Well Kenshin was reluctantly given another chance!

Skipper:  I hope I can add the other couples…

Tifa-sama:  I hope I can change that!  K&K FOREVER!!!

Swtrkgurlz:  Well, Kenshin is kinda crazy with all the bumps to the noggin… *Kenshin death glares me*  Opps… I take that back…

midnight dreams:  Thanks.  Here's the next chap.

Chibi Maylan:  I'm glad you liked the chapter.

White Plum: Yup, holdin' hands!

mewlw: Yup, and another evil one!  It's ok.

LYKAchan:  Thank you.  I'll try not to skip on the emotions…  Here's the update.

Luli451:  I'm glad you like that chap.  Here's the next one.

Hanna-chan:  You will find out.  I know, doesn't it?  Here's the update.

Yukishiro Kaoru Masago:  Thank you.  Yea, it is kinda sad…  Yea she did.  Don't die!  Thanks!

friends4eva08:  Thanks.  Here's the update!!

genki-assassin:  Sorry my chaps are short.  I've kinda got it on hold for right now…


	15. Kenshin's Second Run At Last! What's He...

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  Nope… still don't own a thing…  Though I wish I did…

A/N:  Sorry again for not updating on a regular basis… my teachers are getting really hateful these last few months… not to mention the STAR testing…  Also… a few weeks ago I suffered the lose of my fateful dog, Sadie… I dedicate this chapter in her memory…  Well, I hope you enjoy the new chappy!

Chapter 15:  Kenshin's Second Run At Last!  What's He Gonna Do?!

            Kenshin held his board under his arm as he made his way to the half-pike.  'I've just gotta beat that arrogant punk Aoshi!  Kaoru believes in me… I can't let her down…'  When Kenshin finally made it to the top of the ramp, he looked around.  He looked at the crowd cheering for him, appreciating how much these people looked up to him.

            He glanced at his left arm again, rereading Kaoru's message.  It restored his confidence in himself.  He placed the board down and got in his ready position.  Kenshin gave the signal that he was ready to begin.

            The music blasted over the loudspeakers as Kenshin dropped in for the second time that day.  'I gotta make this count!  My first run was a no score…  So I gotta do good on this one…'  Kenshin built up speed as he readied himself to do a 540 kick flip.  He nailed it with the grace that only comes with time and practice.

            Kenshin did many grinds and board trick, of course avoiding any tricks that involved his left arm.  He did all of the basic tricks and combos he new well, which was actually quite a lot.

He was now in the optional 30 seconds at the end of his run.  If he fell here, it would not harm his score, but any tricks he did would only help him.  'It's now or never…' Kenshin thought as he built up speed.  He did four empty airs to gain speed and height.  He knew the trick he was going to attempt next…  It was the same trick that gave him the still healing cut on his forehead…  It was also the trick that had sent him to the hospital with the broken arm he was sporting now…  It was the dreaded 900 front-flip kick-flip

Kenshin thought back once again to the message that Kaoru had written on his arm only a mere 10 minutes ago.  'I will pull this off…!'

"For Kaoru!!!!"  Kenshin yelled as he went into the air.  In the middle of his 900-degree turn, Kenshin began his front-flip.  As Kenshin was totally upside-down, he did his kick-flip and completed the front-flip.  He had just enough time to finish the 900-degree turn and stabilize himself before his board made contact with the ramp.

Kenshin continued up the pipe before jumping off the board, catching it, and standing up at the top of the pipe once again.  The crowd was silent for the second time that day, except this time, they were in awe.  

Suddenly, the crowd burst out with cheers, applause, and whistles.  Kenshin was still in a somewhat state of shock when he climbed down to the ground.  Sano ran to him and gave him a strong pat on the back, nearly knocking the spaced-out Kenshin over.

"Ya did it buddy!!!" Sano cheered.

Kenshin looked around before a wide grin went across his face, "I did, didn't I?"

Kaoru, by this time, had ran down from the crowd and gave Kenshin a fierce hug around the neck.

"Kenshin!  You pulled it off!  I knew you could do it!" Kaoru said as Kenshin, blushing like mad, returned the hug.

Everyone was waiting for the score to be announced over the P.A. system.  Finally, after what seemed like hours, the announcer spoke up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have just received the score for Kenshin Himura's second round.  He scored a…"

That moment in time seemed to stand still as the announcer seemed to struggle reading the Judge's handwriting…

[A/N:  I could be evil and end it right here, but I'm feeling generous today…]

                "Kenshin Himura has scored an unprecedented 97.9!  Kenshin Himura is this year's champion!!!" the Announcer almost screamed over the P.A. system.

            Everyone who was gathered around Kenshin nearly pounced on him, but didn't because of his broken arm.  Kaoru gave Kenshin another quick peck on the cheek before letting him go so he could get award.  

            Kenshin walked up as the second and third places were announced, which belonged to Aoshi and Sano respectfully.  Kenshin was given a huge trophy and a medal while everyone else was just given a medal.

            Kenshin, after receiving his award and the cheers that went with it, began to make his way back to everyone else.   But a hand stopped him on his shoulder.  He turned to face none other than Aoshi.

            They stared at each other a little before Aoshi spoke.  "Good job, Himura.  You were the better man… today…"

            Kenshin nodded his thanks, and Aoshi quickly turned and left.  Kenshin continued to walk back.

            "Well, everyone, I say we should go out and celebrate!" Kenshin said.

            "Sorry, bud, I can't" Sano said.

            "Neither can I," Misao said.

            "Nor me," Megumi stated.

            "Oh, ok… well bye guys…" Kenshin said as they walked off leaving only Kenshin and Kaoru.

            "I'm not busy, Kenshin," Kaoru said gently, placing her hand on Kenshin's arm.  "Lets go celebrate!  Just the two of us!"

            Kenshin blushed at the possible double meaning behind those words.

A/N:  Next chap is defiantly gonna be WAFF-ful!  And I've even got the title, and usually I don't come up with that till I finish the chap…  Here's the next chappy's title:  "Celebrations with Kaoru!  Is She Acting Normal?"  Here are my thanks!

omochi:  Well he didn't…  He compensated his balance.

Crystal:  Here's another update.  Enjoy.

Lord-Hiei:  I'm glad you like my story.  Here's the update… please keep your turtle…

Fuuko-san:  'Cuz I'm just evil like that!  Yup, and he got another one in this chappy too.

Vesca:  Well Kenshin beat Aoshi.  I know that's a bad nickname… but my brain was fried so it was the best I could come up with…

Nikki-chan:  Yup, it's Saitoh!  Hope you liked this chapter too.

D.J.:  Here's the update.  I went into detail on how Kenshin wins.

Spellcaster Inverse Gabriev:  Cool new penname!  Yup, the judge was Saitoh.  You get 25 bonus points that are redeemable at "Kenshins-R-Us".  The only Kenshin outlet store!  I'm glad you liked the new chappy.

Skipper:  Yup, I'm alive…  I'm glad you liked the car scene.  Oh really?  Interesting…

mewlw:  Yea, I updated…  Oh… well good luck with that…  I know I'm good at cliffhangers!

Shiko:  Yup, he's back and Kaoru does like him.  Yea, I hate my teachers…

Chibi Maylan:  Sorry for lack of updates…  Here's the next chappy!

White Plum: ………  That's all I can say ………

AnimePunk15:  Thank you for all of your nice comments…

Ameko (Ashuli:  Yes, I am evil.  I updated.  Well, you found out if he won…  Sorry about the shortness…

kalika55:  Thanks.

Chiki:  Wow…I feel honored… Thanks for all of your nice-ness towards my fic.

Redhead Samurai:  Thanks…  K&K 4EVA!!!  Oh, and kawaii means cute in Japanese…

Mary:  Yea…  Kenshin…

Silver Eyes Bright:  Well, he hasn't yet…  Your welcome.  Yea, go Kenshin!

Shojin Takaru:  Thank you.  …Darn you and your assumptions…

Katana Amaya:  I'm sorry… it's just something about his smile really creeps me out…

chobitsanime-007:  Thank you… I'm glad you like my story…but there are much better ones out there…

LYKAchan:  Well, here's the update…  I know what you mean…  I hope your patience is worth it…!

Chibi Misao:  Yea… Kaoru will be fine.  So you'd wanna be Misao…?  Interesting…

AnimeSkater15:  Thanks.  I will.

A/N:  I'm kinda thinking about after finishing the story, going back and making bloopers and odd moments out of some scenes.  So, if you all would be so kind to, send in your fave scene and maybe an idea and I'll see if I can make something out of it… Of course, you will get credit if you  give me an  idea as to what to do with the scene…  Well everyone… JA!!


	16. Celebrations with Kaoru! Is She Acting ...

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  How I wish I owned Rurouni Kenshin… then I could divvy up the guys among my obsessive friends… but I don't, so I can't…

A/N:  Again, I am so sorry about the lack of updates, but school is being evil and so is my computer…  This chapter, hopefully, will have a lot of WAFF.  Sorry if it doesn't though, as I said before, I'm not a good WAFF writer…

Chapter 16:  Celebrations with Kaoru!  Is She Acting Normal?

            "Well, Kenshin, are we gonna stand here all night, or are we gonna go out and have fun?" Kaoru questioned, with an 'innocent' look in her eyes.

            'Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!  What am I gonna do!?  A full night alone with Kaoru!  I dunno if I'm gonna faint or run around laughing in a chicken costume! …Wait… where did that chicken thing come from…?' Kenshin thought, off in his own world.

            "Hello?  Earth to Kenshin!  Come in Kenshin!  Oh, no!  We're loosing him!  Quick someone do CPR!!" Kaoru teased, hoping to get some kind of response out of Kenshin.  Well, she got one.

            "ORO!?  I don't need CPR!" Kenshin cried.  'Unless it's from you alone, Kaoru…  Quit it!  No perverted thoughts!!'

            "Well then, lets go!"

            Kenshin nodded his approval and began walking towards his car.  Kaoru followed closely behind him, and when I say close, I mean CLOSE.  Kenshin could practically feel her breathing on the back of his neck!  Kenshin groaned inwardly.  'Must keep control… must keep control…'

            After what seemed like hours to poor Kenshin, they finally reached his car, a blue 1995 Jeep Wrangler.  Kaoru was surprised he actually had a car like most people his age.

            Kenshin, as if reading her thoughts, said, "What?  You think I skate everywhere?"

            Kaoru shook her head and got into the car.  Kenshin started it up and let it warm up a little before actually pulling out.

            Together in the car, they drove in silence for about 5 minutes before Kenshin realized something.  "Um, Kaoru?  Where exactly do you want to go?"

            Kaoru thought a little while before answering, "It's up to you, Kenshin.  This is, after all, YOUR victory celebration."

            Kenshin sighed.  There were so many places he'd want to go, like home, for instance, but he wasn't sure if Kaoru would like any of his ideas.

            So they continued in silence, both occasionally stealing glances at one another.  One time, they actually locked eyes for a few seconds before they both looked away, blushing.

            Kenshin glanced over at Kaoru, "Would you mind if we listen to some music?"

            "Oh, no, I don't mind.  It's your car anyway, Kenshin," Kaoru responded, blushing slightly because Kenshin had cared enough about her to ask if she wanted music.

            Kenshin shrugged before turning on the radio.  "I just wanted to make sure that you didn't mind if we had music.  I know it's my car, but I like to make sure that my passenger is comfortable as well."

            The radio, of course, didn't help the tense situation when it began to play a slow romantic song (A/N: I dunno which song.  Just think of one you know!).

            As Kenshin was driving, he saw a billboard with an interesting advertisement.  "Hey, Kaoru, how 'bout we go to the Starlite Carnival?  The sign says it's in town for one night only, and that's tonight."  (A/N:  I know, I know… Carnivals are so cliché, but you people wanted WAFF, so I'm giving it to ya!)

            Kaoru thought about it for like 2 seconds before happily nodding her head.

            Kenshin grinned as he began to drive in the direction of the carnival.  Then he realized what had just happened.  He had just asked Kaoru to a one-night carnival, and she agreed!  'Oro!  Now what?!  How will I be able to control myself now?!'  Kenshin began to sweat bullets.

            Kaoru, on the other hand, was ecstatic.  She couldn't believe that Kenshin had asked her to a carnival!  'Now, how will this play out…?  Maybe I can finally have some more alone time with him… and maybe I can tell him my true feelings.'

            In almost no time at all, they arrived at the carnival.  Kenshin parked his car, and, being the true gentleman he is, opened the car door for Kaoru to exit.  She gave him her sweetest smile as she stepped out of the car.  That one smile made Kenshin's heart do a somersault.  'My gosh, she is so beautiful…  It's hard to imagine that this is the same girl that hated skaters…'

            Kaoru saw Kenshin spacing out, so she decided to bring him back to reality by grabbing onto his arm.  Kenshin blushed a few different colors of red, but nonetheless, he did not remove Kaoru's arm.

            Together, arm in arm, they walked to the entrance of the carnival.  The sun was just barely setting over the horizon as they bought their tickets.  Kaoru looked around happily as the lights began to come on.

            Kenshin simply walked beside her, smiling the whole time.  'I know she is already beautiful, but the look on her face now makes her all the more beautiful…'

            "You're beautiful," Kenshin whispered, barely loud enough for Kaoru to hear.

            Even though Kaoru heard what he had said, she couldn't believe it.  "What did you say, Kenshin?" she whispered back, although a little louder than Kenshin had spoke.

            "I… I said that you're beautiful, Kaoru," Kenshin repeated, a little louder for her to hear clearly.

            Kaoru blushed a few shades of red before speaking again, "You know?  You're not that bad looking either, Kenshin."

            Kenshin was totally taken aback by this.  He totally hadn't expected her to say that!

            'That got him!  Heheh, I love it when I can make him blush like that!  He looks sooo cute!' Kaoru thought, smiling slightly.

            Kenshin, hoping to stop the blush from covering more of his face, lead Kaoru towards the games.  He looked around, seeing all kinds of games of varying skills.  He wondered which he'd like to try first, 'Maybe the basketball one… I'm kinda ok in basketball.'

            Kaoru stopped suddenly and pulled on Kenshin's arm to get his attention.  "Kenshin, look!" Kaoru said excitedly as she pointed to a booth.  "Isn't that the cutest plushie you've ever seen?"

            Kenshin looked in the direction of the said plush toy.  It was a giant teddy bear with violet fur and big blue eyes with a giant red bow on it.  "Um, if you say so, Kaoru…" Kenshin replied, not really into the 'cute things' as much as Kaoru was.

            "Kenshin, could you please get that thing for me?  Please???" Kaoru asked, her face going into the-puppy-dog-eyes-and-the-slightly-pouty-face look.

            There was no way that Kenshin could say no to that face.  He sighed and looked at what task he would have to complete before he was awarded the over-sized bear.  'Oh man… why'd it have to be this??'  Kenshin groaned inwardly.

            The game that Kaoru had chosen was the one that Kenshin was the worst at:  the dreaded keep the bowling ball in the indented area (A/N:  I don't know the name of it.  If you go to carnivals at all they have this game.  It's the one where you have to push the bowling ball over a small hill, and it has to stay in the basin.).

            Kenshin and Kaoru walked over to the booth, and the friendly old man that ran it greeted them.

            "Hey there, sonny.  You gonna try and win somethin' for your girlfriend there?" the old man asked.

            Kenshin nodded, blushing slightly at the idea of Kaoru as his girlfriend.  "How many times do I have to win this before I can get that bear over there?" Kenshin gestured towards the violet bear.

            "Hmm… normally I'd say 3 times.  But since you make such a cute couple, all ya gotta do is get it to stay once."

            "Really?" Kenshin asked, growing more confident.  'Even I can get it to stay once!'

            The old man nodded.  Kenshin gave him the correct amount of money and took his place in front of the track.  Kaoru stood back and watched Kenshin.  "You can do it, Kenshin."

            Kenshin nodded, he could do this!  Kenshin gave a push that he thought would be just the right amount of force to get the ball over and keep it there.  Good thing Kenshin was good at math, because his calculations were correct.  The bowling ball stayed.

            Kenshin sighed happily, glad that he was able to win something for Kaoru that she really wanted.  The old man smiled as he took down the bear and handed it to the red-haired youth in front of him.  Kenshin handed the bear to an extremely happy Kaoru.  As a reward for his *ahem* efforts, Kaoru hugged him and then the bear.

            "Have fun you two!" the old man said as they walked off.

            Kenshin glanced over at Kaoru, who at this moment was still cuddling the bear.  Kenshin, oddly enough, was jealous of the bear.  'That bear is getting more attention than me!'

            Kaoru, as if hearing Kenshin's venting, walked closer to him and leaned her head onto his shoulder.  Kenshin, again, blushed, but this time not as many different shades.  He hesitantly put his arm around her waist.  As they walked along like this, they both thought something at exactly the same time:  'This feels so right.  We fit together like we were made to be.'

            Kenshin cleared his throat, preparing to speak, "Um, Kaoru, don't you think it's be a good idea if maybe we put the bear in my car so you don't have to carry it around all night?"

            Kaoru nodded.  So, still in the same position, they went to the entrance where they got their hands stamped so they could go back inside.  They walked to Kenshin's car, put the bear in, and walked back into the carnival.

            Kenshin looked down at Kaoru, now her arms were wrapped around his midsection.  "Are you hungry, Kaoru?" Kenshin asked softly.

            Kaoru looked up into his eyes.  She hadn't realized it before, but if you stare into a persons eyes, they can tell you exactly what they were feeling.  'All I can see in his eyes… is… love… love for me…'  Kaoru's stomach growled loudly.

            Kenshin chuckled, "Well, I guess that answers my question.  Let's get something to eat, shall we?"

            Kaoru nodded happily as they went towards the food area.  The smells of the carnival foods invaded their senses.  Kenshin quickly glanced over all of the types of food.  He looked back down at Kaoru, "What do you want?"

            Kaoru thought about it for a little while before answering, "How about a pizza to split?"

            "Sounds good to me," Kenshin said as they walked towards the pizza booth.  They ordered a small pepperoni pizza and 2 sodas.  They made their way to an empty table near a small lamp.

            There was where they sat and ate their food, sometimes stealing glances at each other.  Kenshin looked up and waited for Kaoru to do the same.  "How's the pizza?" he asked.

            "It tastes great, but I'm almost full."

            "Me too…  You want the last slice?" Kenshin asked.  Kaoru shook her head, so Kenshin took up the last pizza slice and ate it quickly.  Kenshin looked at the time and realized that the fireworks were about to start.

            Kenshin told Kaoru this, and she excitedly wanted to see them.  Kenshin stood up, helped Kaoru to her feet, and together, they walked to the absolute best place to sit and watch the fireworks:  the Ferris Wheel.  (A/N:  I know… even more cliché-ness… but I promised WAFF…)

            Together, arms around one another to ward out the somewhat cold night, they stood in line.  Finally it was their turn to get into one of the cabins.

            They were loaded up and they slowly began upwards, stopping occasionally to let other passengers on.  They sat on opposite sides of the cabin, both silent.

            'This is it, Kaoru!  This is the moment you've been waiting for!  Just come out and tell him how you feel!'

            'Oh, boy, Kenshin… Oh, boy… alone in here with Kaoru… I just hope I can tell her how I truly feel about her…'

            "Kenshin." "Kaoru."  They spoke at the same time, both blushing and looking outside.

            Kaoru decided to go first.  "Kenshin, I've got something very important to tell you…  So if you could let me finish before you say anything."  Here, Kenshin nodded.  Kaoru took a deep breath, "Kenshin, I know when we met, I was very cold towards you.  And that was wrong of me… very wrong…  I should not of characterized you by what I had once before experienced with skaters…  I thought you all were alike, that you loved rap, that you cussed even when there was no good reason to, and that you all…" here, Kaoru paused, as if remembering something she didn't want to.  "…Well, what I'm trying to say is… Kenshin, I'm sorry of my earlier behavior.. and I hope that you can love me as much as I love you right now…"

            Kaoru gasped.  As quick as lightening, Kenshin was on her side of the cab, his arms around her in a tight embrace.  "Oh, Kaoru, if only you knew how long I've waited to hear those words…"

            Kaoru was so relieved, as well as Kenshin.  Kaoru happily returned the hug.

            However, almost too soon, the hug was over.  Kenshin sat next to Kaoru and was about ready to say what he had to say.  "Kaoru," he began, "I know that, well, you and I haven't known each other very long, but…  I've loved you since the moment I met you.  There was just something about you that…  Well, you were someone who seemed like a very strong person.  You are the most beautiful person I have ever met, both inside and out.  And, I just want to let you know, even though you've already figured it out by now, I love you, Kaoru, and I always will."

            Kaoru was almost on the brink of crying after hearing Kenshin's very touching speech.  This time, Kaoru was the one to initiate the hug.  Kenshin held her close to him, however, holding wasn't enough for him.  He pulled back slightly and looked down into Kaoru's eyes.  He, like Kaoru had earlier, saw nothing in her eyes but love.  

Kenshin put his hand on her cheek.  He slowly leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss onto her lips.

Kaoru was very shocked that Kenshin had been so bold, but that quickly faded as she began to return his kiss.  The kiss stayed innocent, as Kaoru pulled back just as the first fireworks lit the sky.  Her eyes sparkled with child-like glee as she watched the fireworks in Kenshin's arms.  This was just the place she wanted to be, and to stay.

Kenshin sat also, enjoying the fireworks.  'Where the heck did I learn to be so daring…?  Oh well, I guess it paid off…'

Almost too soon, the ride was over.  Kenshin helped Kaoru out just as the fireworks ended.  Kenshin checked the time.  "Oh, boy!  It's 11:00 already!  I'd better get you home!"

Kaoru gasped at how late it was.  "You're right!  My dad's gonna kill me!"

They made a mad dash towards the entrance, trying to beat the rush out.  Luckily, they did.  They got into Kenshin car, and drove out of the parking lot.

Kenshin glanced very at Kaoru, who looked like she was about to fall asleep at any moment.  "Where do you live?" he asked.

"Um, right past the skate park…" she responded sleepily.

Kenshin nodded, and was about to say something else when he realized that Kaoru had fallen asleep.  He smiled to himself as he drove towards Kaoru's house in silence.

A/N:  Whew!  That was a lot of typing… well without further ado, here are my thank-yous:

DJ:  Yes, this does have something to do with that song…

Tat_mine:  I'm working on the lengths of the chapters… I'll get to them, don't you worry!

Silver RiverMage:  Well, we shall see if he continues skating or not…  I know… wasn't that just evil?

Mary:  Well you found out… We're not quite sure what Kenshin was thinking about…

Chiki:  That's ok.  Yes, you seem to be a big softy.  Thank you.  Yea, I WAS a nice author, wasn't I?  Yea, I'm ok…thank you for worrying though…

Lord-Hiei:  Good thing…  Oh, don't hurt yourself…  Well here's the update!  Good, keep your turtle…

Chibi Maylan:  I'm ok now, thank you.  Well here's the update.

Skipper:  Yea, I wanted Kenshin to win anyway…  Hope there was enough fluff in this chap.

swtrkgurlz:  Hope this was enough WAFF for you.  Ew, I hate tomatoes…  Yea, I'd probably die too if I tried that move…

Fuuko-san:  Yea, I was feeling nice that day…  Here's the update, enjoy!

Queen of Shadows:  Well, I'm glad you like my story.  Man, I'm getting a lot of death threats lately…  Well, I updated, so keep your squirrel army…  That's not a bad idea… make Aoshi look like an idiot… Aoshi:  *glare* Me:  Eh heh…

omochi:  I am not sure which of you is thinking dirty…  Enjoy the update!

rumi-chan:  Hope you liked the WAFF-y chapter then.  I'm working on the chapter lengths…  Yep, Kenshin is strong.

Redhead Samurai:  Thank you.  Enjoy the update!

D.J:  (not sure if this is the same D.J. as above, so I'm putting it separate just to be safe)  Yup, he won.  Here's the update.

SakuraRyo:  Thank you.  Hopefully there was enough moments in this chapter for you.

LYKAchan:  I liked that passage, too.  Well, that's good.  Here's the update.

dark-coyote:  Well, I'm sorry for the wait…I've been very busy recently…  There will be, I promise.

mewlw:  Thank you.  Here's the new chappy.

Spellcaster Inverse Gabriev:  Thanks.  It's ok.  Yup, if you need directions to the Kenshin-R-Us outlet store, just tell me!  Here's the next chappy.

kimoniken:  Yes, that sounds like another good blooper scene…

A/N:(Continued)  I still need more blooper scenes… so if you have any ideas just send them in!  Well, until the next chapter, ja!


	17. Kaoru’s Father and Kenshin’s Problem

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  How I wish I owned Rurouni Kenshin… then I could divvy up the guys among my obsessive friends… but I don't, so I can't…

A/N:  Wow, I'm amazed.  This is actually a quicker update then usual…  Yay for me!  Well, I hope you all enjoy this chap… And by the way, this fic is a LONG way from being over!  So don't worry!  Enjoy!

Chapter 17:  Kaoru's Father and Kenshin's Problem.

            Kenshin drove carefully so as not to wake up Kaoru.  He had a pretty good idea as to where she lived… Anyway, if he got lost, he'd just wake her up and ask for directions.  'But I really don't want to have to do that…'

            Kenshin kept glancing at Kaoru, watching her as she snuggles further into the car seat, trying to get comfortable.  Every now and then she would sigh, or mutter something under her breath.  Once, Kenshin could have sworn she had said his name!

            There were not many people on the road this late at night…  Oh, great!  That just reminded him of how late he had kept Kaoru out!  '*gulp*  I just hope her father understands…'

            After about 10more minutes of driving, Kenshin finally arrived close to her house.  Now he totally didn't know which house it was!  'I hate having to wake up this beautiful angel next to me, but… it can't be helped.'

            Kenshin pulled over to the side of the road and gently shook Kaoru's shoulder.  "Kaoru.  Kaoru, wake up, please," Kenshin said as he continued to shake her shoulder.

            Kaoru swatted at his hand, and slowly opened her still half-asleep eyes.  "Wat…?" she asked, her voice slurred with sleep.

            "Kaoru, I… I kinda need to know which house is yours…" Kenshin stated, a little embarrassed.

            Kaoru pushed herself into a more comfortable position and looked around.  Now she was more awake, and therefore, more aware of where she was, and who was with her.  She then turned back to Kenshin with a look in her eyes that said, 'You gotta be kidding me.'

            "Oro?" Kenshin said, confused by her look.

            "Kenshin, we are in front of my house right now," Kaoru responded, matter-of-factly.

            "Eh heh, I had no idea… honest."

            "I know, Kenshin.  I just thought it was kind of ironic that you happened to pull over in front of my house, only to wake me up and ask me which is my house…"

            Kenshin said nothing in return, only got out of the car and went to Kaoru's side.  He opened the door for her, and helped her out.  She stumbled a bit, but Kenshin caught her.

            "What's wrong?" Kenshin asked, worried.

            "Oh, my legs fell asleep.  I'm fine, don't worry, Kenshin," Kaoru replied.

            Kenshin sighed in relief.  'At least she didn't hurt herself.  I have a feeling I'm in deep water anyway…'

            Kaoru looked over and saw Kenshin's somewhat worried face.  "Don't worry, Kenshin, my dads not that bad."

            Kenshin still muttered a soft 'Oro' as he walked Kaoru to her door.  Kaoru noticed the lights were turned off.  She pointed this out to Kenshin, saying that maybe her dad was already asleep.  Kenshin, however, highly doubted it.

            Together, they reached the door.  Kenshin, feeling slightly more confident that maybe her father was asleep, lightly captured Kaoru's lips in his.  Kaoru, not expecting the sudden kiss, took a little while before responding.  However, she did respond, and with gusto!  Kenshin was about to take the kiss to the next level, when the front door was slammed open, and the startled couple quickly broke apart.

            On the other side of the door was none other than Kaoru's father, whose stature was larger than most people.  Kenshin suddenly got the chills as he realized who that was, and what had been seen.

            Kaoru stuttered a greeting, "O-oh, hello father.  I'm home…"

            "I can see that," Kaoru's father said, his deep voice reverberating off of the enclosed porch area.  He looked over at a shaking Kenshin, "You job is done, boy.  You got her home safe.  Now go."

            Kenshin quickly nodded.  He looked over to Kaoru, "Good night, Kaoru."

            "Good night, Kenshin," Kaoru responded.

            Kenshin turned to her father once again, "Good night, sir."  He bowed and quickly walked to his car.

            Kenshin sighed once he was in his car.  'Whew… I thought I was as good as dead back there!'

            With that thought, Kenshin drove away.

                                                *            *            *            *

Kaoru watched as Kenshin's car left from her sight.

            "So," her father began, "who was that young man?"

            "He's a boy I go to school with, Kenshin Himura."

            "Kenshin, eh?  Most kids like him would've ran the instant I slammed the door open."

            "He's different, father.  He truly loves me, I can see it in his eyes," Kaoru smiled.

            "As long as he doesn't hurt you, he's ok with me.  Now come on, it's late.  Let's go to bed."

            Kaoru agreed fully.  As soon as her head hit her pillows, she was asleep.  Her dreams filled with only one subject:  Kenshin.

                                                *            *            *            *

            Kenshin pulled into the driveway of his home, locked his car, and went inside.  As usual, there was no one home, but a note on the kitchen table.  It read:  "Kenshin, we'll be back soon.  Had to go to business trip. Hope your competition went well.  Love you lots, Mom and Dad."

            Kenshin sighed, another lonely night in a house that was too big for the three of them, let alone him self.  He quickly got ready for bed, and fell onto the mattress.  'I wonder how long they'll be gone this time…'  Kenshin sighed and slowly fell asleep.  He had wonderful dreams about the only person that mattered to him:  Kaoru.

A/N:  Hellos again!  Hope you all enjoyed the chapter.  Sorry if you think its short.  But I wanted to get this chap out ASAP!  Here's my thanks:

April-Moon:  Yea, it does, doesn't it?  She'll tell eventually… I'll make her!

swtrkgurlz:  Thank you.  Why would you wanna be Yahiko…?  Well you found out about Kaoru's father.  Good.

Chiki:  Thank you.  Yes, very cliché.  I can too.  Wow, I actually made Kenshin cuter…  Amazing…  Yes, the daring.  Here's the update sooner than expected.

Skipper:  That's good.  You are very lucky.  Here's the next, enjoy!

Ryutsuisen:  Thanks.  Well, your friends have a right to their own opinion.

omochi:  Eh heh… whose thinking dirty now…?  Here's the update.

Chibi Maylan:  That's actually not a bad idea… I might consider it.

tintin-chan:  Well I try to update as soon as I'm able…  Thank you.  I hope I didn't torture you that much…

Jenna:  Thanks.  That is kinda hard to imagine…  Yea, she will.  No, not Shishio.  He had to get hurt because then the story would never go on…

kimoniken:  Nice blooper… very funny.

rumi-chan:  I thank every one of my reviewers.  Yea, well he kinda acted mad…

dark-coyote:  Sorry.  Hopefully this is a faster update.  Don't poke me, please!

Kay Kylo:  Thank you.  Yes it is really hard.  My schools not out until the 18th of June…

Shojin Takaru:  Thanks.  K, I will.

D.J.:  It's ok.  I can't wait either.

can't-get-enough-anime:  Here's the quicker update!  Thanks.

Ming:  Thank you.

Punky:  Thank you so very much.

Redhead Samurai:  Thanks.  Of course there's more!  Don't be silly!

Spellcaster Inverse Gabriev:  Thank you.  Here is my quicker than usual update.

Queen of Shadows:  So that was what that game was called!  That's not a bad scene at all.  Very funny.

Shiko:  It's ok.  Yes, now all is good…  My school hates me…  Here's the sooner update!

LYKAchan:  Thank you.  I kinda liked that paragraph, too.  Thank you for the suggestion, I will remember it.  Thanks again.


	18. Kenshin's Past Reveled!

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By animeluverthatiam

Disclaimer:  How I wish I owned Rurouni Kenshin… then I could divvy up the guys among my obsessive friends… but I don't, so I can't…

A/N:  Yea, for those of you who were worried about the shortness of the last chapter, it's because chapter 17 was a filler chapter.  Hopefully this chap will be much longer, hopefully.  And if you hadn't noticed yet, I did decided to raise the rating so I can allow more… stuff…  Well, without further ado, chapter 18!

Chapter 18:  Kenshin's Past Reveled!

            Kenshin awoke the next morning, his left arm throbbing.  "What the…?" he said aloud.  Then everything came back to him.  The competition, the arm, the celebrations with Kaoru, the…  Kenshin decided to let his thoughts end there.

            He sighed, realizing that once again he was alone.  'I wonder how long they will be gone this time?' Kenshin thought.  'Now I know its here somewhere…  Where is it…?  Ah ha!  Here it is… "The List 'O Chores".'

"Typical," Kenshin muttered.  "Let's see…  mow the lawns, feed the dogs, do laundry, and go shopping…" Kenshin sighed again.  "They couldn't even leave me with food!" he cried to no one in particular.  He continued to read down the list.  'Basic stuff…'

            Kenshin sighed for like the millionth time that morning… He suddenly had a flash of nostalgia, wishing he could return to the good ole days…

~Flashback!~

            "Mommy!  Dad!" cried a 6-year-old Kenshin as he ran into the living room.

            "What's wrong, Kenshin?" his mother asked.

            "It's cool, it's really cool!  You haveta come look!  You, too, Dad!"

            Kenshin's parents smiled as they got up and followed Kenshin, who was now bounding up the stairs.  He ran into his room, with his parents following close behind him.

            "Close your eyes now!  No peaking!" Kenshin said happily.  "Ok, you can open your eyes now!"

            His parents opened their eyes to Kenshin holding up his latest piece of artwork.  It was actually very well done for a 6-year-old.  The picture showed Kenshin and his mom and dad holding hands in front of their house.  Of course the people were stick figures and the house was a box with windows… but the point was made.

            Kenshin was smiling the smile only an innocent child could as his parents took the picture from his hands.

            "So?  Is it cool or what?" Kenshin asked, still smiling.

            "It's wonderful, dear," Kenshin's mother told him.

            "Ha!  My son's gonna be the next Picasso!" Kenshin's father laughed, patting Kenshin on the head.

~End Flashback~

            'Those were the good old days…' Kenshin mused.  'But after I turned 10, everything went downhill…'

~Another Flashback~

            "Mom!  Dad!  What do you mean you have go?!" a 10-year-old Kenshin cried.

            "Son, it's for work.  I'm sorry, but we will be back in a week or so," Kenshin's mother stated, trying to sooth her angry son.

            "Don't worry, Kenshin.  You'll be watched over.  We hired a nanny to take care of you until we get back," Kenshin's father told him.

            Kenshin grew very angry.  "I don't need no stupid nanny!  I can take care of myself!"

            "Fine!  If that's the way you want it!  Here's all the chores we expect to be done before we get back!" Kenshin's dad yelled, he himself growing angry at his son.

            His father took Kenshin's mother by the arm.  They got into the car and drove away, leaving poor Kenshin not knowing what had just happened.

~End Flashback~

            'They said that they would only be gone a week…  It ended up being a month…  But that was when I took up boarding.'  While Kenshin was remembering his past, he had eaten his breakfast, a cup of ramen, and had gotten dressed into a pair of cargo shorts that went to halfway down his shin and a red t-shirt that read:  "Who let me out?" with a dog on it.

            Kenshin decided to go shopping first.  He walked out to his car and got in.  He noticed something purple in the back seat.  Kenshin turned around and realized that he still had Kaoru's teddy bear.

            "Hmm… guess I'll be paying a visit to Kaoru this morning," Kenshin said out loud as he turned on the car and cranked up the radio.

                                                *            *            *            *

            Kaoru yawned as she woke up, early as usual.  She remembered what happened yesterday and blushed a deep red.  'I wonder what Kenshin is doing right now…'

            Kaoru got up from her bed and changed into a pair of semi-tight jeans and a dark blue t-shirt, then walked down stairs.

            She saw her father sitting in the kitchen, reading his newspaper.

            "Good morning, father," Kaoru said.

            "Good morning, Kaoru, are you hungry?" her father responded.

            "Yes!" Kaoru replied happily.

            Kaoru ate her cereal and toast.  She was about to go back up to her room when there was a knock on the door.

            "I'll get it," Kaoru's father stood up to get the door.

            "Ok, dad," Kaoru cried from upstairs.

            Kaoru's father opened the door and saw the boy from the night before.  "…What do you want?"

                                                *            *            *            *

            Kenshin parked in front of Kaoru's house.  He walked up to the door, feeling very happy in seeing the love of his life again.

            Kenshin knocked on the door and waited for Kaoru to answer.  However, Kaoru was not the one to answer…

            "…What do you want?" Kaoru's very intimidating father asked as he opened the door.

            Kenshin froze.

A/N: Well… its done… I'm sorry for the long wait… I've had to do a lotta stuff and school hasn't even stared yet… Well, here are my thank yous:

omochi:  Yea, well… he might have had some right next to the door.

april-moon:  Yea, he survived, just barely. She pretty much told him, except the kissing parts…

Chibi Maylan:  Nice blooper.  I might use that one… 

Chiki:  Yea, I kinda wondered about that too.  I'm sorry for the long wait in updating.

Fuuko-san:  I'm glad you liked the story.  Yea, her dad's not that strict… jus very scary.

kaoru gal:  Thanks, I'm working on the shortness.

Spellcaster Inverse Gabriev:  Yes… poor Kenshin.  K, the directions are:  go left at Alaska, jump down a well, go into the past, wait a few hundred years, and it's the third store on the right.  Thanks a lot.

sleep walking chicken and HAP:  Kenshin: ORO!  Battousai:  …

DJ:  Yea, my dad is really protective of me too…

genki-assassin:  Thanks.  Well that's good.

RK-128:  Thanks.  Mine too.  Here's the next chapter.

Skipper:  I wish mine was also.  …You just keep wishing…

Queen of Shadows:  Yep, they were caught.  Well, you now know the answer to that.  Here's the update.

can't-get-enough-anime:  Yea.  Yup they are.  Here's the update.

Varina:  Thank you.  Here's the update.  Enjoy.

tintin-chan:  Thanks.  Hopefully this chapter is longer…  You will know soon enough…

dark-coyote:  Yea, well…  No tomatoes!

chobitsanime-007:  That's a good blooper.  Sorry if I lost you that bet.

star-crystals:  Yes, it is, isn't it?  Well, I like the WAFF too… No, he's not.  Here's the update.

Nitogumi:  Thanks.  Well, I kinda play skating games and I have friends who are boarders.  Here is the update.

Roku-chan:  Thank you.  I'm sorry about the late update.  Maybe…  Thanks again.

Aryanne:  Thanks. Yea… Kenshin driving… weird thought.

Lord-Hiei:  Well, it's not.  Sorry about the late update.

kimoniken:  Thanks.  I see…

LYKAchan:  Yes it was…  No, it's not over.

Phoenix//08:  Thanks.  Here's the update.

whisper*2*imaginary:  Thanks.  Here's the late update.

noner_89:  Thanks.


	19. Adventures in Shopping! Kenshin and Kao...

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By Altia

Disclaimer:  Ok, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, nor do I own the characters… I'm just using them for my amusement and for the amusement of others.

A/N:  OMG… have I died?!?!  NO!  I LIVE!!!!  …Though just barely…  .  School frustrates me to no end… it's truly annoying…  Oh well… life goes on, and so shall this story!  Enjoy the very long overdue chapter!  And because you all have been such good little peoples because you waited for me, I'll try and add some WAFF to this chappy.

Chapter 19:  Adventures in Shopping!  Kenshin and Kaoru's Day Out.

            Kenshin and Kaoru's father stared at each other through the doorway.  Kaoru's dad, now being able to see Kenshin in broad daylight… realized how much of a wimp he looked like!

            'There's no way that this puny thing could protect my daughter…' Father (lets jus call him Father for now… I'm too lazy to think of a name) thought.  He towered over poor Kenshin, who was barely taller then Kaoru.

            "Well boy, out with it!  What do you want?" Father spoke aloud with his booming voice.

            "Um… well I just came to give Kaoru her teddy bear she got at this carnival last night.  You see… she kinda left it in my car and…"

            "Kaoru!  Get down here!  You got a guest!" Father yelled upstairs.  He kept glancing at Kenshin as the poor boy fidgeted nervously under the gaze.

            Kenshin stood there, not looking Kaoru's father in the eyes, afraid the huge man would pound him to pieces.  'Dang… her father is a very intimidating person…'

            As Kaoru ran down the stairs, her father left the door and she saw Kenshin standing there.

            "Oh, um… Good morning, Kenshin," Kaoru said nervously, knowing her father was within earshot of their conversation.

            "G'morning, Kaoru.  I, uh, just came by to give you your teddy bear before I went to do some errands…  It's in my car, if you wanna go get it…"

            Kaoru nodded and walked out with Kenshin to his car.

            "So, what errands do you have to run?" Kaoru asked as they approached his car.

            "Eh, I just have to go shopping for some food is all really…"

            "Oh, I see…" Kaoru said, at a lose as to what to say.

            They walked the rest of the way to his car in silence.  Kenshin opened his back door and took out the teddy bear and gave it to Kaoru.

            "Thank you for dropping this off," Kaoru said.

            Kenshin grinned slightly, "No problem… Though I do have to get going.  Got more stuff to do at home after I go shopping."  Kenshin began to get into his car when Kaoru put a hand on his shoulder.

            "Um, if it's ok with my dad, would you mind if I went with you?" she asked.

            "I don't see anything wrong with that…"

            Kaoru smiled and ran to go ask her father.

            Kenshin sat in his car and wondered what today would bring.  He hadn't expected Kaoru to ask to go along with him.  Well… he kind of did… but it still shocked him.

            Kaoru jogged back out to his car with a large smile on her face.  "My dad said I could go with you if I wanted to."

            "Well… that's good… I guess…" Kenshin mumbled that last part so Kaoru couldn't hear it.

            "What was the last thing you said, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked.

            "Oh, um, nothing.  It was nothing.  I've just had a long day already and it's barely begun."

            Kaoru saw the look on Kenshin's face as he said this, and decided not to question him further at the moment.  She sat down and buckled up.

            Kenshin started his car, turned down the radio, and went in the direction of the grocery store.

            Kaoru glanced over at Kenshin, attempting to read his facial expressions; problem was:  he had none.  He was completely focused on driving, not really acknowledging Kaoru was there.

            When Kenshin stopped at a red light, Kaoru waved her hand in front of his face.  "Hello, Earth to Kenshin?  Come in, Kenshin.  Um, Houston, we have a problem."

            It was about this time that Kenshin snapped out of it and looked over at Kaoru.  "Yes, Kaoru?  Something you need?"

            "Oh, um, not really…" Kaoru said, a bit flustered by his sudden attention.  "Though, I was wondering, where do we stand after… um…. last night?" she asked, her face a bit red because of the thoughts of the night before.

            "Oh, that… well… I'm not really sure…" Kenshin responded, accelerating as the light turned green.

            "I was… just wondering… it's ok…" Kaoru said, a bit dejected that he hadn't said the words she wanted to hear.

            Kenshin, noting how Kaoru spoke those last words, hesitantly said "Well, I suppose, if you want to, you know, we could be… boyfriend and girlfriend…"

            Kaoru smiled wide and nodded her head several times, and most likely would have jumped on Kenshin if he weren't driving.

            Kenshin smiled as well.  'Now maybe I can find out why she hates skaters so bad…'

            But before Kenshin could ask that all-important question, they arrived at the store.  Kenshin parked his car and helped Kaoru out.

            Arm in arm they walked into the store, grabbing a cart on the way in.  Kenshin thought about what he needed at home, and once that was set into his mind, he led the charge into the main part of the store.

            Kaoru carefully watched Kenshin as he shopped.  It seemed to her that every item he picked up, his expression got more and more desolate.  At one point, Kaoru tried to talk to Kenshin, however he was too far-gone into his thoughts to realize she was talking to him.

            Kaoru sighed, 'I wonder what is wrong with Kenshin…?'  She followed him as he made his way though the store, stopping only when he stopped.

            Kenshin seemed to slip into the normal state of depression as he always did when his parents left him.  'Hopefully they won't be gone too long this time.'  However, he knew that hope was a useless one; they wouldn't be back for at least a month.  He fell into a great sense of sadness, and only started to come around once the shopping was finished.  Only after he came out of it was when he realized Kaoru had tried to get his attention this whole time.

            He glanced over at her and she smiled slightly.  Kenshin gave a questioning look towards her, but she just shook her head and continued to smile.  'Now what is she thinking about that's making her so happy, I wonder?'  However, her smile seemed to be contagious, as soon Kenshin found himself smiling as well, his bad mood disappearing.

            Kaoru kept smiling at Kenshin, hoping to make him feel better.  She was almost tempted to make weird faces at him, but they were in public, and she thought people would think she was weird.  So, she just settled on smiling.

            She saw his questioning look, but she just shook her head and kept on smiling.  She knew he wanted to know why she was smiling, but she wasn't gonna tell him.

            So she kept on smiling, and almost grinned when she saw him smile back.  'At least I think I brought him outta his bad mood…'

            Kenshin paid for the food he bought, and walked out to the car.  Kaoru helped him load his groceries into his Jeep, even though he insisted he could do it himself.  'She is so stubborn,' he thought, 'but that's one reason why I love her…'

            They both got into his car and left the store.  Kenshin, of course momentarily forgetting Kaoru was in the car with him, drove straight to his house.  He realized his mistake once he saw his home, and saw Kaoru still in the passenger seat.  'Dang it!' he thought.

            Kaoru looked around.  She had never been in this neighborhood before, and she could only assume that the house she was in front of was Kenshin's.  'I wonder why he brought me here…?  Could it be because…?  No!  I refuse to think Kenshin is like those other skaters…'

            Kenshin saw the expression on Kaoru's face change, so he decided to say something.  "Eh heh… sorry, Kaoru.  I didn't mean to bring you to my house…  I usually do the shopping alone, so I never even thought to drop you off at your house.  If you wanna… I can take you home…"

            Kaoru's mind stopped the train of thought she was having and smiled slightly.  She was right; he wasn't like those other skaters.  'At least he apologized for his mistake… and gave allowed me to not worry…  I was a fool to ever doubt Kenshin…'

            "Oh, well… if you have something you need to do then I won't stay… because I have nothing else planned for today…" Kaoru said, a bit hesitantly.

            Kenshin looked over at her, "Well, today I just have to do some yard work… and… I wouldn't mind the help…"

            Kaoru nodded, "Sure, I'll help you… Just let me use your phone so I can call my dad."

            "Of course."

            As Kaoru helped Kenshin bring in the groceries, she couldn't help but marvel at the inside of his home.  'It's so nice!'

            Almost everything was fancy in Kenshin's house.  There were marble floors, fancy wood paneling, and even a fireplace in the living room.

            Kenshin grinned, "So I take it you like the inside of my house, eh?"

            Kaoru nodded, "Where's your phone?"

            Kenshin pointed to the table where the phone sat and Kaoru ran over to call her dad.

            Kenshin could only hear Kaoru's half of the conversation as she spoke.

            "Hey, dad, it's me…  No, I'm at Kenshin's house…  The boy that was here today…  Yea, him…  Well, I'm gonna help him with his yard work a bit, and then he'll drop me off at home…  So it's ok? … Don't worry, dad, he's a good boy…  Ok, I will…  Bye."

            Kenshin was kinda confused.  '"Good boy"?  Wonder what he said to make her say that…?'

            Kaoru walked over to Kenshin and snapped her fingers in front of his face, bringing him out of his thoughts.

            "Well, boss," she said, sounding as gruff as she could, "I'm ready to work!"

                                                *            *            *            *

A/N:  Phew!!!  Man oh man!  I'm glad that's over… hopefully I'll have more time to write chapters…  Next chapter, whenever it comes out, will be WAFF-ful!!  I promise!!  Ok well… I should do my thank yous… so here they are!:

Chibi Maylan:  Yea, well, I think my dad would slam the door in a guy's face even if he did say something!

Spellcastre:  No prob about the directions!  Yes, I agree… they are evil…  And that was an evil, long cliffhanger, but no longer!

Skipper:  Well I haven't updated in ages either… dang school…  Yea, I can imagine the look as well.

Chiki:  Sorry about the cliffhanger… and not updating… evil, evil school…  Well, they didn't leave… just went out on a business trip…

Aryanne:  No the story is far from over.  Yea his parents are kinda bad…  Why are you stuck on him driving??  Anyways, hope you enjoy the new chapter.

thunder sister:  Yes sorry, it was a bad cliffhanger… bad me…  Sorry…school sucks big time…

Fuuko-san:  Yea, sorry about that long update and this one…  Yea I'm trying to keep all my multiple loose ends tied… but it's hard…

Queen of Shadows:  Yea, Kenshin-gumi as skateboarders are cool…  Well, he hasn't… yet…

CurlsofSerenity:  Yes… be afraid, be very afraid…

l3al3yanime:  She didn't know at the moment…

Funaru Kutsuteru:  Yea, I'm trying to work on the shortness… sorry…

Shattered Sword:  Thanks for liking my fic.

Sagitarious Devil:  Thanks for thinking my fic is cute.  Well, I've kinda hinted at why Kaoru hates skaters in this chap, and the first to guess will win… something… dunno what yet…  Sorry about the evil cliffhanger…

Uenki:  Thank you.

genki-assassin/miko-no-hikari:  Sorry it was so short…

Silent angel20:  Well, you just have to use your imagination.

Phalken:  I try to update as often as I can… but it's harder anymore…  Hope there was enough humor for you.

tintin-chan:  Here's an update.  Enjoy!

whisper*2*imaginary:  And here's a long overdue chapter… *also grumbles about school and evil AP tests*

sayiangohan16:  Thanks.

lilk0k0:  Thanks a lot.

Kaoru Gal:  Yes, yes he can.  Thanks for the kind words… yes… exclamation marks…

Kimonikenai:  Thanks.  Yea, it's probably the same with my dad and me…  Well, I don't plan to stop anytime soon, maybe a long pause, but not stop.  Actually I tried skateboarding but I'm not that good at it… I'm more of a Roller-blader

omochi:  Yes, poor Kenshin.

sess9:  Thanks a lot for your words of encouragement.  It means a lot when I can please people who read my story.  Yes, it was an evil cliffhanger.

Lauren Williams:  Kaoru must save the day!!

Naturegirl515:  I have no idea what I'm gonna do with the raised rating…  Thank you.

^^:  Thanks and here's the update.

Kitsune KeNsHiN:  Thanks and enjoy the update!

bob:  Here's the update, enjoy.

Lost Darkness:  I hope you didn't die waiting for this update.

Phoenix Down:  Yea, it's neat, but its time consuming.  I'll try.

Kyo Terayashi:  Here's the update.

Twilightkitty:  It's ok you didn't review sooner.  Thanks a lot.  And hopefully people don't hate me because it took so long to update.

Kyori-chan:  It could be called either thing.

KuTiExAzNxAnGeL:  Thanks and here's the update.

tikigurl293:  Well, if I did copy someone, I didn't mean to.  I tried to make this story with as many original ideas as I can.  One way to tell though, is look at the publish date.  Well, I had a reason to make Kenshin fall.

Tai:  Actually, I've never been to that site before.  I hope I didn't copy anyone, that wasn't my intention.

Varina:  Sorry it's so short.  Hope you like the update.

kitty-jinxx:  Thanks.

Miguela:  Thanks a lot.  Hope you like the update.

Animeluvergal:  Thanks.

baseballfreak202:  Thank you.  Well I didn't stop, just paused.

Ikatsui Karite:  Thank you for liking my writing.

Kiryuu-500:  Thank you.  Well, I've finally updated.  I hope you stay loyal after this long.

Anomymous:  I'm trying to work on my detail content.  Yes, I know all too well of how protective fathers are, me being a girl with a dad…  Well, yes, she is dead, but only cuz I don't need another character to worry about.

A/N: (continued)  Well, like I said in one of the reviews, if you can guess why Kaoru hates skaters, you will get a hardy thumbs up, and if you want, a cameo in the fic to do whatever you want.  Til the next update!  Later!


	20. Yardwork Adventures! Kaoru's Having Som...

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By Altia

Disclaimer: Ok, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, nor do I own the characters… I'm just using them for my amusement and for the amusement of others.

A/N: Woooo! Summer break! Finally! I have 3 months to catch up on my poor, long-neglected fics. Hopefully when I get a summer job, it doesn't effect my writing time. Well for the moment, I'm free! And AX04 is only a few days away!! Down thing is, I'm a SENIOR in HIGH SCHOOL!!! NOOOOO!!! I FEEL SO OLD!!!! Anyways, enough about my life… time for the update! Enjoy!

Chapter 20: Yardwork Adventures! Kaoru's Having Some Fun...

Kenshin looked at Kaoru strangely, as she stood there, her chest puffed out and her voice sounding deep. He couldn't help but laugh at her, which earned him a glare and a thwap on the side of the head.

"Ow! I was just messin' around, Kaoru! I didn't mean anything by it!" Kenshin cried, as he rubbed his offended head.

Kaoru grinned, thinking how cute Kenshin looked when he was in pain. Of course, this doesn't bode well for our poor little skater.

Kenshin sighed, "Ok, well, first thing we gotta do is mow the lawns, I guess. I could mow and you could work the rake. Or the leaf blower… don't matter to me."

"I think the leaf blower would be much easier," Kaoru said, thinking of ways she could use said leaf blower to her advantage.

Kenshin nodded and walked outside, Kaoru following close behind him. When Kenshin reached the shed where the garden tools were held, he stopped, and Kaoru, grinning widely, intentionally slammed into him, causing them both to fall to the ground. Now of course, this landed our two main characters into a very awkward position. You know, one of those that many people could mistake for something nasty… yea… one of those…

Kenshin laid there, with Kaoru flat on top of him, and he could feel every part of her… ahem… Anyways, he blushed a few shades of red as he attempted to get up and not get in an even worse position. However, Kaoru had no intentions to help him with this, as she stayed perfectly still.

She grinned even more, if it was humanly possible, as Kenshin attempted to negotiate his way out of this position. Finally, after his face looked like it was about to explode, she finally got up, and helped him up.

Kenshin tried to hide his face, however knowing that she had seen his blush. 'Though,' he thought, 'I wonder why she didn't move sooner…' Kenshin shook his head, thoroughly removing any nasty thoughts from his head as well as the blush from his face.

Kenshin unlocked the shed door and pulled out the leaf blower, handing it and the extension cord to Kaoru. "Here you go… There should be a wall socket for the cord right inside the door."

"Ok," Kaoru said as she walked towards the door and plugged in the blower.

"But, we won't need that 'til—" Kenshin was cut short when Kaoru fired a full blast of air right into his face.

Kaoru looked shocked, not expecting the switch on the blower to be in the "ON" position. "OMG, Kenshin, I'm so sorry!" She cried as she quickly turned the blower off. However, one good look at Kenshin sent her into a fit of giggles.

Now, imagine this if you can: poor, unsuspecting Kenshin, starting to tell Kaoru to not plug in the blower because it would not be needed, suddenly blasted with wind. Not only wind, however, but with stray sticks and leaves in the path of the wind. Now, Kenshin's hair was full of leaves, and he had a stick sticking out of one nostril.

Kenshin started laughing as well, picking out what he could find of the leaves. Kaoru walked over to where he was standing, and also began to pick leaves and such out of his hair.

"Um, Kenshin," Kaoru said, "you have a stick in your nose…"

"Oh!" Kenshin replied, quickly removing the foreign object from his nostril.

Kenshin pulled out the lawn mower and got it into position to begin mowing. He attempted to start the mower several times.

"Kenshin, do you want me to try?" Kaoru asked, thinking maybe Kenshin wasn't strong enough to start the old mower.

Kenshin shrugged and moved out of the way, giving Kaoru enough room to do what she had to do. Kaoru tried almost as many times as Kenshin had to start the mower, and she got the same result.

Kenshin got on one knee and examined the mower's motor. He checked the spark plugs, and while he was doing this, Kaoru once again got a clear view of his… backside…

Kenshin then unscrewed the gas cap, only to find the tank was empty. He sighed, "Typical… it's outta gas… Lemme go get the spare gas can we got…" Kenshin got up and brushed his knees clean, then walked into the shed and got said can of gas.

He quickly filled the mower, and then attempted to start it again. Success, for this time the mower started real quickly and easily.

Kenshin quickly mowed the front yard, stopping every now and then to empty the bag, with Kaoru's help of course. This is not to say Kenshin couldn't do it himself, for he had before, however he just wanted to be in close proximities with Kaoru.

Kenshin finished mowing, dumping the last bit of yard waste into the trash, and then looked over at Kaoru.

After returning the mower to where it was supposed to go, he walked over to Kaoru. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Tag, your turn," he said, implying that she could now use the leaf blower.

Kaoru nodded and turned the blower on, making sure to not aim it at poor Kenshin, who was now sitting on the porch watching.

Kenshin took a long sip of his ice-cold water bottle and smiled as he watched Kaoru use the blower. She was defiantly a strong girl; most he knew, including his mother, couldn't pick up the leaf blower, let alone use it.

Kenshin dumped a bit of cold water on his head, letting it cool him down on an oddly hot spring day. He shivered a bit as the water went down his back.

Kaoru came trotting up, showing that she had finished her end of the job. Kenshin, however, didn't seem to notice, because of the cold water that was making its way down his back.

Kaoru decided to give him a bit of a wake-up call. She quickly flipped the blower on then off again, sending a small blast of air into his face. She noticed it caused his bangs to fly backwards, almost sticking straight up for a few seconds before falling back down.

This small gust caused Kenshin to almost fall on his back, and also to shiver a bit more as the air hit the wet spots on his shirt.

Kenshin blinked as Kaoru laughed at his reaction. "Ok, ok, enough of that!" Kenshin said as he made a lung for the blower.

Kaoru, seeing this coming, moved out of the way. However, Kenshin still managed to grab the cord, unplugging it from the blower.

Kaoru pouted, knowing her fun was over, for the moment at least.

Kenshin rolled up the extension cord over his arm, and threw it right inside the shed where it belonged. He held out his hand, signaling Kaoru to hand over her precious leaf blower.

Kaoru handed it to him, still pouting. Kenshin couldn't help but laugh at the face she was making, which earned him a sturdy hit in the shoulder.

"Ow!" Kenshin cried. Kaoru knew instantly she had made a mistake: she had hit his left arm, you know… the one that was broken all those chapters ago… yea… that one… Well, she almost immediately began apologizing for her mistake.

"It's ok, Kaoru, really… it's fine…" Kenshin said as he tried to calm an almost hysteric Kaoru.

Kaoru eventually did calm down, and then asked, "So, boss, what's next on the list?"

"Well, now we need to water the lawn…"

Kenshin walked over to the hose, he himself getting an evil idea. He turned the water on, making sure to get all the flowers and the lawns. When Kaoru wasn't looking over, he pointed the hose over her, letting the drops of water fall like rain on her, and before she could turn around, he resumed watering the lawn, acting as if nothing happened.

Kaoru glared at him the first couple of times he did that, but the third she cried, "Kenshin, I know your doing that! Now stop it!"

"Doing what, Kaoru?" an innocent looking Kenshin asked.

"You know dang well what! The drops of water!"

"Hm… maybe it's just raining… yea… that's probably it…" Kenshin reasoned.

"Raining?! There isn't even a cloud in the sky!" Kaoru yelled.

Kenshin turned the water off and return the hose where it belonged, then walked over to Kaoru. He hugged her, and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry. I was just trying to have a bit of fun, like you were earlier…"

Kaoru smiled, and returned the hug. She noticed it was getting late; the sun was almost setting.

"Um, Kenshin, it's getting kinda late… I think it's about time to call it a day," Kaoru said softly, still wrapped in the arms of the one she loved.

Kenshin nodded, and reluctantly let her go. "I'll drive you home," he said as he pulled his keys out of his pocket.

"Um, Kenshin, I was wondering, you know, since you are all by yourself and all, and if its ok with my dad, well… um… would you like to have dinner at my house?"

Kenshin's eyes widened. 'Dinner at her house!? With the behemoth that is her dad?! Will I survive?!' "Um, sure, Kaoru, if you want me to…"

Kaoru smiled wide and gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek before running and getting into his car.

Kenshin slowly walked to his car, a nice blush covering his cheeks. 'Dinner at Kaoru's, huh? Oh boy…'

A/N: WOOOO!! Wonder what's gonna happen next… Like I said up there, I'm gonna try and update a lot more often now… even though I will have summer reading for my Senior AP English class… and a job… And my B-Day is tomorrow, or today if you are reading this on the 22nd of June… so yay! I'm giving you all a gift on my b-day… or close enough… Anyways… here are my thank yous!

KuTiExAzNxAnGeL: Thanks, and here's the update.

Chiki: Yes, it has been a long time. Wow, you twirled? Don't hurt yourself… That sucks about your parents just leaving… Yes "father" is strict… and I need a name for him… dang my lack of name making skills… You will find out soon what made Kaoru hate skaters.

crasyducky: Thanks… yea sorry the update was slow… Ssssuuuurrreeee… your not strange… right…

Shojin Takaru: Yes, I did update… unlike you and another certain author… coughSailorLoneStarcough… Thanks for the nice comments.

: Hope you enjoyed the update.

tintin-chan: Sorry I took so long…

Aryanne: Yes… Thanks. Hopefully this chapter is longer…3 ½ pages of story alone… Yea…sorry bout that… hopefully I can get a once a week update thing going…

Kimiko5: Yes I finally did. Thanks.

The evil witch: Thank you.

Ikatsui Karite: Thanks. I look forward to your ranting in future reviews.

Darky: Sorry… I take forever to update…

Kuramalover: Thanks. Enjoy this chapter.

kklover: Thanks. Sorry for the long update.

Funaru Kutsuteru: Well I didn't die… though I came close. Wow… well at least he remembered… Thanks a lot for all the nice things you say.

indigochipmunk: Thanks. Yes soon… soon A/M will have their day…

Lost Darkness: I'm glad you survived… I think I lost a lotta reviewers since my last update… oh well…I'll try to not do that again.

Eengel Star13: Yes, I am planning to do that, however, you ppl must be patient! I want to get K/K's relationship basically set before moving onto another couple. Thanks.

kik-ting: I'm glad you think my story is interesting. I tried to make it different from others. They aren't rich, they are more upper-middleclass. Hope you like the update.

Miguela: I'm glad you liked the update. Thanks. Here's the next update.

Darkygurl11: You are correct, you prize is that you figured it out before anyone else! Congrats! Enjoy the update.

onnie: You are correct as well. You are the first runner up! Be proud of your newfound guessing skills! Thanks, and enjoy this chapter.

Engel Star13: (I'm pretty sure this is the same person as "Eengel Star13" but I'm putting it separate just to be safe) Well, here's the update. Your inspiration was a great help, thank you. I'll R&R your stories soon…

A/N (yes still… Hey shut up!): Well, that concludes this update of WWTSF! See you all real soon hopefully! Later much!


	21. Father’s Quiz: Is There Any Right Answe...

Who Was That Skateboarding Fool?!

By Altia

Disclaimer: I can't think of anything original to say here… so I'll just say I don't own it!

A/N: Wooo… fast update, no? Ok yea… now is the time… dundundunnnnnn! dinner at Kaoru's house! Enjoy!

Chapter 21: Father's Quiz: Is There Any Right Answer?!

Silence seemed to reign in the car as Kenshin drove to Kaoru's home. Kenshin then realized a major error on his part…

'I FORGOT TO CHANGE MY CLOTHES!' Kenshin's mind screamed at him for not realizing it sooner. His clothing had smudges of dirt, and it was obvious manual work had been done in them.

Kenshin glanced over at Kaoru, "Um, Kaoru?"

"Yes, Kenshin?"

"Do you think my clothes will be ok for dinner at your house?"

Kaoru allowed herself to do a full body scan on Kenshin, his blushing face evident even though he tried to hide it.

"It should be ok, Kenshin. Your clothes are a bit dirty, but it's to be expected when you do yard work."

Kenshin gulped, "Thing is, Kaoru, I wanna be presentable when I officially meet your father."

Kaoru smiled, "Look at me, Kenshin, I'm just as dirty as you are. I probably look like crap… it really doesn't matter. Its just dinner."

'Kaoru, you could be covered in mud and you'd look beautiful,' Kenshin thought as he stopped at a red light.

Almost too soon they arrived at Kaoru's home. Poor Kenshin was so nervous that his knees were shaking.

Kaoru, as if sensing his worry, took his hand and gently squeezed it. "Don't worry, Kenshin. My dad's bark is worse then his bite."

That statement, however, nearly made Kenshin wet himself, "Y-you mean… he's bitten someone before?!"

Kaoru laughed, "No, Kenshin! It's a saying! My dad is really a nice guy; he just looks tough. Now come on, I can smell dinner from here!"

Kenshin and Kaoru both got out of the car and walked to the door.

"Um, maybe you should ask your dad if its ok for me to eat here before I go in…" Kenshin said quietly.

"Oh, Kenshin, you need to not worry as much!" Kaoru said as they reached the front door.

Kaoru opened the door and called inside, "Dad! I'm home! I was wondering if Kenshin could eat dinner with us."

Kenshin could have sworn he felt the ground shake as Kaoru's father made his way to the door.

Kaoru's father looked over the boy, "Aren't his clothes a bit dirty for wanting to eat at someone else's house?"

"That was kinda my fault, dad. You see, he didn't plan to come… I just asked him that if he wanted to come and eat he could, as long as it was ok with you," Kaoru said as she defended the now very pale Kenshin.

Father once again regarded Kenshin, "Fine, he can join us. You talk, boy, or does a cat got your tongue?"

"Oh, um, it's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I'm Kenshin Himura," Kenshin managed to state with only a small squeak of a voice.

"Well, are you going to allow your guest to stand outside, Kaoru? Bring him in!" Father said as he walked into the house.

Kaoru grabbed Kenshin's hand and gently pulled him inside the house.

"I don't believe I have introduced myself, boy," Kaoru's father said, not wanting to let Kenshin catch a break. "I am Koketsu Kamiya, Kaoru's father, as if you didn't already know that."

Kenshin gulped, 'Crap… I've truly entered a tiger's den… and the cub was the one to lead me here… Hopefully I won't be the main course…'

Kaoru pulled Kenshin into living room while dinner was being prepared. Kenshin looked at Kaoru a bit strangely, "Why aren't you cooking, if I may ask, Kaoru?"

"Well," Kaoru began, "to tell the truth, I can't cook all that well… So dad does all the cooking."

Kenshin nodded in understanding and looked around the living room. While it was not as fancy as his house was, what with both his parents working in well paying jobs, it was still a nice house. To Kenshin, it looked friendly, and lived in. It was so unlike his house, which always looked like it was abandoned save for him. He hadn't been in a house like this since he was a small boy.

Kaoru saw the look that was on Kenshin's face as he looked around the room; it was a look of reminiscence, as though he hadn't seen anything like this in a long time. "Kenshin, are you ok?"

Kenshin blinked and looked at Kaoru, "Yea, I'm fine… why?"

"No reason."

Koketsu called from the dining room, "Dinner's ready!"

Kenshin and Kaoru got up from the couch and walked into the dining room, sitting across from each other. The table was only a small square one, but it did the job it was supposed to.

Koketsu sat to Kaoru's left, Kenshin's right. There was quite a bit of food there, since he had made extra because Kenshin was there.

Everyone began to eat; therefore it was silent for several moments.

Kenshin was truly sweating, 'Oh man… it's too quiet… Someone say something! Please!'

"So, Kenshin, was it?" Koketsu said.

Kenshin nodded.

Koketsu continued, "How long have you known my daughter?"

Kenshin gulped, and not just to remove any food from his mouth, "Well, sir, I've known her for four weeks, or so…"

Koketsu nodded, "Four weeks, huh? That's not a very long time, you know."

Kaoru began to get worried. 'Dad is the master of cornering boys. And I believe he's about to do the same to Kenshin. Don't get caught in his trap, Kenshin!'

"I am aware of that, sir," Kenshin replied.

"What are your thoughts of my daughter?" Koketsu asked.

"Well," Kenshin began, "she is a strong individual; also very independent. She is loyal to her friends and has confidence in herself. She doesn't bend to pressure. She is truly beautiful, both inside and outside. However, even if she wasn't as pretty as she is, but she still had the same fiery personality, I would still feel as strongly about her as I do now."

Kaoru's face was so red by the time Kenshin finished, she could have been mistaken for a tomato.

Koketsu smirked slightly, "And what are your feelings about my daughter?'

Kenshin took a deep breath. 'Either I lie to myself and to her and not say how I feel, or I surrender myself to anything Mr. Kamiya might do and tell him my honest feelings… Well… here goes nothing!'

"Mr. Kamiya, your daughter holds a special place in my heart; a place I never knew I had before. I don't think anyone could ever take her place, and I don't think I'd ever want anyone to. Sir, I love your daughter, with everything I am. I'd do anything to protect her life, even if it meant giving up my own. Hopefully, sir, you will see how serious I am about everything I'm saying, because I am very serious. I won't allow anything bad to ever happen to your daughter. I swear on my honor," Kenshin said, his confidence growing with every word he said.

Kaoru smiled wide; he had said the correct answer! She was tempted to run over and hug Kenshin tightly, however she waited for her father's response.

Koketsu was silent for many moments, taking in what this boy had just said. No boy Kaoru had brought home before, few that there was, had said anything like that. Koketsu finally spoke, "Fair enough, boy. I trust my daughter to you, however, if anything should happen to her, you won't be able to run fast enough or far enough."

Kenshin grinned, "No problem, sir! Nothing will ever happen, I swear it!"

Koketsu cleared the table with Kenshin and Kaoru's help and desert was served. Kenshin and Kaoru made small talk in the living room for a bit after eating their desert. Kenshin looked at the time, "Crap! I'd better get home! I'll see you tomorrow at school, Kaoru."

Kaoru nodded, "Dad, I'm going to walk Kenshin out to his car!"

Koketsu called back, "Ok. Bye, Kenshin."

"Good bye, sir. It was a pleasure to eat here. Thank you for allowing me to," Kenshin said, making a small bow towards Koketsu when he was within seeing range.

Kenshin opened the door, and he and Kaoru walked out towards his car.

"Dad likes you," Kaoru said suddenly.

"Really? What makes you say that?" Kenshin asked.

"Because he didn't bite your head off when you said you loved me."

"Oh," Kenshin said simply.

They finally reached his car. Kenshin walked over to the driver's side, Kaoru following.

Kenshin turned to face her and a quick kiss was placed on his cheek in the process.

Kenshin smiled slightly, and returned the kiss to her cheek. Then, ever so lightly, he allowed his lips to brush hers.

He and Kaoru were both red as Kenshin climbed into his car.

"Bye, Kaoru. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Kenshin. I love you," a red-faced Kaoru said.

Kenshin smiled wide, "I love you, too, Kaoru." Kenshin made sure Kaoru was safely on the sidewalk before driving away.

Kaoru slowly walked back to her front door, smiling as she closed it. Going to her room to prepare for bed, she thought how wonderful it would be to be able to have dinner with Kenshin every night.

…………………………………………

Kenshin managed to make it home without getting into an accident, considering he had Kaoru on his mind the whole time.

He locked his car doors and walked into his house, where a small flashing light greeted him by the phone.

He walked over to the answering machine and pressed the "PLAY" button. It was a message from his parents.

"Hey, Kenshin! It's mom and dad. Well, turns out we will be gone longer then expected. Hope that's ok. Well, we'll see you when we get home. We'll bring you a souvenir or something. Love you lots!"

Kenshin sighed; he had been expecting this. He walked to his room and flopped onto his bed, not even bothering to change his clothes.

'I'll be able to make it. With Kaoru by my side… I feel like I could do anything…'

A/N: WOW! Long chapter! Once I got goin', I didn't wanna stop! Anyways, AX04 is in like 2 days! WOOOO! Which means, I'll be gone from my comp, and the Internet… (sob) Oh well… it's a small price to pay for AX. Oh, and in case you are wondering about Kaoru's dad's name, Koketsu, it means "Tiger's Den." Kenshin knew what the name meant, therefore feared for his very life! Anyways, here are my thank yous, and I expect a lotta reviews over the AX weekend!

kik-ting: Yes… well it wasn't. Hope you liked it.

Miguela: Hey, I'm always up for creative criticism. But see, here's my reasoning for my writing style that last chapter: You see, that chapter was supposed to be light and fluffy and so I tried to make it that way by adjusting my style where it would be cute and humorous. Now, in later chapters where it gets more serious, then I will take your advice and write seriously. Thanks for that, though.

crasyducky: Thanks. Hope your arm gets better.

KuTiExAzNxAnGeL: Thanks. Here's the update.

Kiryuu-500: Cool! A loyal minion… wait I said too much…

Kitsune KeNsHiN: Thanks. Hope you enjoyed the dinner. Thank you.

MiraiGurl: Thanks, I'll try to keep going good.

kenshin-chan345: Cool… my fic causes pain… wait… that ain't a good thing…

The evil witch: Thanks. I'll try.

tintin-chan: Sorry about making you wait… Hope I'll do more fluff soon… and you'll find out soon enough as to why she hates skaters.

Inuyasha's girl: Ooh… a convert… slightly… Thanks. Yea skateboarding is fun when you are good at it…

Hikari-Kawaii: Thanks for all the nice things. Hope you liked the update.

Funaru Kutsuteru: Hey! Don't be mean to the author! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yea… you don't wanna make people mad…

Chiki: I always look forward to reading your reviews. Yea… very light. This one was kinda a mix of light and heavy… if that even makes sense… Hope you liked the dinner.

Mysticblue101108: Thanks. Its not rated G… it's PG now! That's crazy… you're 3 years younger then me…making you a former freshman… heh…

…: Yes, poor Kenshin.

Darkygurl11: Thanks. Hope you liked the update.

A/N: Woo… I can't wait… 4 action packed days at AX04 in Anaheim, CA! It's da best ever! I'll try and update soon! Later much!!


	22. The Challenger! What’s on Kenshin’s min...

Who Was That Skateboarding Fool?!

By Altia

Disclaimer: I can't think of anything original to say here… so I'll just say I don't own it!

A/N: Ack… I didn't update like I planned to… It's because a buncha stuff came up and preparing for my senior year of high school and stuff like that… So… my update is a little late. Well, at least I update, right? Anyways… enjoy the chapter. And, I'm really sorry for it being so late… dang college apps. and teachers not giving me breaks…

Chapter 22: The Challenger! What's on Kenshin's mind?

Kenshin awoke the next morning feeling strangely refreshed. 'That was the best sleep I've had in a while…'

Kenshin then realized what time it was… and what day it was… "Holy crap!! I'm late for school!!"

He quickly changed out of his dirty clothes and ate a quick breakfast before grabbing his board and skating to school at breakneck speeds. He just hoped that he would make it in time.

……………………………………

Kaoru had gotten to school much earlier then Kenshin, and was waiting for him to arrive at the front steps of the school. She checked her watch for like the millionth time. 'Where the heck is he?? He's gonna be late if he doesn't get here soon…'

At just about this moment, Kenshin came speeding up to the school, nearly crashing into the statue of the school mascot as he skidded to a stop.

Kaoru looked relieved as he arrived. "You do realize that you are almost late, don't you?"

Kenshin gave her a look that said, 'No, duh. That's why I broke the sound barrier to get here.'

Kaoru laughed at his expression and walked over to him and gave him a hug. Kenshin blushed, but hugged her back.

At that very moment, the bell decided to ring, and they had to go to class. Together, hand in hand, they walked into the school to begin another dull class day.

……………………………………

During lunch, Kenshin met up with Kaoru and decided to look for Sano. However when they found him, he was in a seemingly deep conversation with Megumi.

"Better not interrupt him. I seriously think he's gotta crush on her, but he refuses to admit it," Kenshin said, doing his part to spread rumors.

Kaoru giggled, "I didn't know you had so much inside info on your friend's love life."

"I don't, I have eyes," Kenshin said as he poked Kaoru in the ribs.

"Stop that! I'm ticklish!" Kaoru said as she tried to defend herself from his finger.

"Heh, that's very good to know…" he responded, getting an evil look on his face.

"Don't even think about it, Kenshin. Now come on, let's go find a seat and eat already!"

Kenshin laughed and nodded, walking over to a nice tree that gave a lot of shade. And so, they ate lunch together, Kenshin every now and then trying to poke Kaoru's ribs again, and each time she whacked his arm.

…………………………………….

The rest of the school day went rather painlessly. As Kenshin and Kaoru walked out of school together, Sano ran up to meet Kenshin.

"Hey, bud, ya coming to practice today right?" Sano asked.

Kenshin glanced over at Kaoru, then looked back at Sano, "Um, actually, I kinda had plans…"

"Don't worry about it, Kenshin. Actually I'd like to watch you practice, if you don't mind," Kaoru said, putting a hand on Kenshin's shoulder.

Kenshin looked at Sano, waiting for the 'ok'.

Sano shrugged, "Don't matter to me if ya wanna come, little missy. It gets kinda boring if ya just watch though…"

Kaoru smiled, "I don't think I'll be bored…"

Sano shrugged again, and all three went to the skateboard practice at the skate park.

Kaoru sat on a shady bench and watched as Kenshin stretched and warmed up. "Be careful because of your arm, Kenshin!" she called.

"Don't worry, Kaoru, I will."

After the stretches were finished, practice really started. It was very well organized. Everyone got one run on the half-pipe before it was the other person's turn. There was no fighting over whose turn it was. It always went on the scale of ability; the one who was better went first.

However, there was a newcomer to the group. A young man by the name Shishio Makoto didn't see why he had to go last.

"I have more skill then all of you combined!" he yelled

"Then if you are so confident, why not challenge one of us?" Sano said calmly.

"Fine, I challenge that guy!" Shishio said, pointing to Kenshin.

Everyone smirked, knowing the new guy was gonna get crushed, even if Kenshin was injured.

Kenshin shrugged, "Alright, you go first. Show me your best stuff."

Shishio smirked somewhat evilly, "Your gonna regret your cockiness."

Shishio made his way to the top of the half-pipe and dropped in quickly. He did a few empty airs to get an almost unreal height. He then did the trick he was known for in his hometown, then 1080 Fireball. About halfway through his spins, he took a match and swiped it across the bottom of his board, making it a raging inferno, and then completed his turns. He then landed on the half-pipe as the fire went out. Shishio smirked as he reached the top of the pipe.

Kenshin laughed, "Just a buncha show, and no substance whatsoever. I'll show you what a real skater is."

Kaoru smiled as her boyfriend took his place at the top of the pipe. The wind began to blow, making him look even more handsome as his red hair danced in the wind.

Kenshin dropped into the pipe, doing simple board tricks and grinds. He then did empty airs just as Shishio did. However, he was preparing for a real trick, not some show. Once Kenshin got about 10 feet high from the pipe, he did the trick that won him the gold medal at the skating competition just two days before: the 900 Front-Flip Kick-Flip. With Kaoru watching, and with Kaoru's confidence in him, he was able to pull it off perfectly, without any hesitation whatsoever. As Kenshin coasted to a stop at the top of the pipe after the trick, he looked to see the look on Shishio's face, only to see that he had left.

All of the skaters present clapped for their respected leader. Kaoru stood, cheering and clapping the loudest of all the others.

Kenshin walked down to his fellow skaters, "I think I'm done for today. You guys can stay, but I'm gone."

The guys nodded, and continued their practice. Kenshin walked over to Kaoru.

Kaoru then made a very interesting discovery: Kenshin was incredibly sweaty, so much so that his shirt stuck to his chest. This gave Kaoru a nice idea of the muscles that lay beneath the baggy shirt. This made Kaoru blush a deep red.

Kenshin noticed the blush, but not the reason for it, "Hm… your face is a bit red, Kaoru. I think you've been in the sun too long. Better get you home."

Kaoru nodded, too embarrassed to talk. They walked home together in comfortable silence.

When they reached Kaoru's door, Kenshin turned to face her. "Well, we're here…"

"Yeah…" Kaoru said, still very embarrassed and tried to not stare at his chest.

"Um, tomorrow… do you have anything planned?" he asked.

"No, I don't think I do. Why?"

"Well, I was wondering if… uh… you'd like to go to dinner with me?" Kenshin inquired, his face red.

Kaoru blushed even more, "Um, I'll have to ask my dad when he gets home from work, but it should be ok… I'll call you later, alright?"

Kenshin smiled, "Sure, that'll be fine. So, uh, your dad's not home, right?"

"No…"

"Good," Kenshin said as he leaned in for a kiss.

Kaoru, somewhat shocked, managed to kiss him back before he pulled away.

"I'll talk to you later, then," he said.

"Yea… bye," Kaoru responded, in a sort of daze.

"Bye!" Kenshin called as he skated away.

Kaoru stood at her door for a few minutes before actually going inside.

………………………………………

As Kenshin was heating up his microwave TV Dinner, the phone began to ring. He ran over to answer it. "Yea, this is Kenshin."

"Kenshin, it's me, Kaoru," she said on the other end of the line.

"Oh, hey. What's up?"

"Well, I asked my dad about the dinner thing, and he said it was ok with him as long as I was home before 11 this time…"

"Eh heh, that was a mistake on my part… So ok, it's a date then?" Kenshin said, grinning.

"Yup, so I'll see you tomorrow at school, ok?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow… Love you."

"Love you too, Kenshin, bye."

"Bye, Kaoru," Kenshin said as he hung up the phone. "Yahoo!!! I gotta date with Kaoru!!!" Kenshin yelled as he jumped up and down like a little boy who got the toy he wanted. Kenshin sat down to eat his dinner, thinking of what things will happen tomorrow.

A/N: Yup, that's chapter 22. Again, sorry for taking so long to update. Senior year is a pain, even thought I have an easy schedule. Oh, well, please review, and you will get responses like these fine people:

Artemis Mayeko: Thanks a lot, no he didn't get into too much trouble. Sorry for the long update…

Miguela: Thanks, I did have a good time at AX, but not after…

tintin-chan: Thanks. Aww, don't cry! I'm sorry for the long update wait!

Xujin: Yup, he survived. Thanks. Sorry for the long update wait…

MZ. AMbER EYES: Thanks a lot. Yea, AX is the best. Yea, I cosplayed as Chichiri from Fushigi Yuugi, and at AX05 I'm gonna be InuYasha and Chichiri.

The evil witch: Thanks for the nice comments.

crasyducky: AX is Anime Expo. It's held in Anaheim, CA for 4 wonderful days in the summer. Thanks for all the nice things you said about my story.

Kitsune KeNsHiN: Thanks. Yea, poor Kenshin. Sorry for the long wait.

Kiryuu-500: Yup, you're a minion. Thanks. Yea, I'll check out your story as soon as I get a chance to breathe…

kik-ting: Yup, but just barely. Thanks. They will eventually come home, but no one knows exactly when.

Darkygurl11: Here's the update. Enjoy.

VanyD: Yes, I am aware of my error, but I am too darn lazy to go and change it. Um, you might wanna look for some help with that inner child thing…

shibi chibi: Sorry, I just write what people want me to.

kohaku: Thanks. Sorry for making you wait so long…

-: Thanks.

XAliceX: Thanks a lot, and don't forget to read this chapter.

evilteddybear: Yes, I am well aware of the error, but am too lazy to correct it. I'll get around to it eventually.


	23. The Day of the Date! The Night of the E...

Who Was That Skateboarding Fool?!

By Altia

Disclaimer: I can't think of anything original to say here… so I'll just say I don't own it!

A/N: Well, I'm trying to do a fast update even though I have an essay on Hamlet due Monday that I barely started today… ((sighs)) I'll survive… somehow…

Chapter 23: The Day of the Date! The Night of the Event.

Kenshin awoke bright and early Tuesday morning, really too excited to sleep because of his date with Kaoru. He quickly got dressed and started to skate to school before he realized something: it was 5am!

'Wonderful… I'm a whole 3 hours early for school. I doubt Kaoru's even awake yet. Might as well go back home and watch some TV,' Kenshin reasoned, as he turned around and went back home.

………………………………………..

However, unknown to Kenshin, Kaoru was also up early that morning… though, it was for a completely different reason.

'I can't believe I forgot math homework!!' Kaoru mentally shouted at herself. She scribbled and struggled through the 80 problems she had for her Calculus class. (A/N: I don't know if I said a math class for her before… if I did change it to Calculus.)

She sighed, this never happened to her before. She was always the kind of student who finished her homework in class, no matter how many problems. However, ever since a certain skater came into her life, all of that changed.

Granted, she was still a good student, just… not as focused as she used to be. 'Dang that Kenshin! I'm gonna sock him when I get to school!'

Kaoru had 3 hours to complete her homework, and to get ready for school. She knew she could make it if only she could stop thinking about her date later that day…

………………………………………….

"Ahh! News, news and more news!" Kenshin cried out, frustrated because of lack of good things to watch. "Where are all the cartoons?! Like… Digimon… or something else like that…"

As Kenshin scrolled through the channels, he came across an over-reran episode of "The Fairly Oddparents."

'Oh well… better then nothing.'

Kenshin sat and watched the TV, still bored. He glanced at the clock. 'Hm… 7:15… guess I could start going to school now… I'll just skate slowly.'

With that thought, Kenshin turned the TV off, and grabbed his board, ready for a slow coast to school.

…………………………………

"Holy crap! It's 7:15!!" Kaoru cried as she realized she was only ¾ of the way done with her homework.

'Oh, man, oh, man, oh, man!' Kaoru was seriously stressed out. 'I've gotta start getting ready. I guess this will have to be enough for the teacher.'

Kaoru put her homework away and got ready for school.

After eating breakfast, she walked to school, somewhat slowly. She dreaded what her math teacher was going to say to her.

'Probably say something like "Miss Kamiya, I would have expected a little more then this from my best student!" Ha… I can just see his face now…'

When Kaoru reached the school, she was surprised to see Kenshin there, waiting for her.

Said skater walked over to her with a smile on his face. "Hey, you excited for tonight?" he said, ever smiling.

"Um, yea… I guess…" was the quiet reply.

Kenshin turned his head sideways, almost like a puppy does when it is confused. "Something wrong?"

"Well, I didn't exactly finish my math problems. I have about 20 more to do, and not nearly enough time to do them…"

"Hmm, let me see them."

Kaoru gave him a strange look, but nevertheless took out her math book and homework.

Kenshin looked at the problems, then sat on the steps to the school. "You gotta pencil?"

Kaoru nodded and handed the pencil to him. Within a matter of 15 minutes, Kenshin had finished the rest of the problems. Not only that, he went back and corrected some of Kaoru's mistakes in her rush to finish.

"Here you go!" Kenshin said, grinning.

Kaoru's mouth seemed to have lost the ability to close. "How did you…?"

"How did I finish so fast? Let's just say that skateboarding isn't my only hobby," Kenshin replied, still smiling.

Kaoru hugged him tight. "Thank you so much! I would have been toast if it wasn't for your awesome math skills."

"Ahh, don't worry about it. It was my pleasure," Kenshin said as he hugged her back.

The bell rang not much longer after their hug, and another day of class began…

……………………………………….

After school, Kenshin decided to skip his practice in order to get ready for his date. He wondered where to go, and for this information, he went to the only source he could trust: Megumi.

He found her in her usual place, talking to her friends.

"Um, Megumi, can I talk to you for a bit?" Kenshin asked.

Megumi nodded, and told her friends that she would be right back. "What's up, Kenshin?"

"Well," he began, "I'm taking Kaoru out to dinner tonight and… I don't know exactly where a good place is."

"Hmm, well it depends," Megumi responded.

"On what?"

"On whether you want it to be formal, semi-formal, or just causal."

"Well, I think for the first dinner-date, it should be casual. Plus, I didn't tell Kaoru to dress formal or anything."

"Well then, that narrows the field. Hmm, let me think a moment," Megumi grew silent as she thought about where Kenshin could take Kaoru. "I've got it! You can take her to this nice little restaurant right down the street from here. It's called "Café Matte." It has a very casual and relaxed atmosphere."

"Thanks a lot, Megumi! You're a life saver!" Kenshin cried as he shook Megumi's hand and ran off.

'Alright then! Café Matte it is!' Kenshin then realized he shouldn't go to pick Kaoru up empty handed. 'Hmm… flowers are ok I guess. Well, it's a first official date, what do you expect?'

Kenshin decided he would stop at the florist near his home right before picking Kaoru up, to ensure the flowers don't die until after Kaoru gets them.

Kenshin skated home, excited and nervous about what the night was going to bring.

……………………………………….

Kaoru sat at her desk, determined to finish most, if not all, of her homework before the date. She was not willing to replay this mornings little fiasco.

Kaoru wondered briefly where Kenshin was going to take her, and what is intentions were… 'No, I've already proved to myself he's not like those other skaters… haven't I?'

Kaoru shook her head, 'Have to focus on homework!' With that, she went back to diligently working on the horrible creation called homework.

……………………………………..

Kenshin was dressed very nicely for the evening, even though they were going to a casual restaurant. He wore a dark blue button-up, collared shirt with black jeans that didn't look like jeans, and nice dress shoes. His hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, leaving only his bangs to flow free.

Kenshin sighed, 'Well, this is it…' He walked out to the car, making sure he had all the money he would need for the evening. He drove to the florist down the street and bought a nice bouquet of red roses with some baby's breath and carnations sprinkled throughout.

When he arrived at Kaoru's house, he hesitated. 'What if something horrible happens tonight? No! Don't think of that! It's gonna be a great evening!'

With renewed confidence, Kenshin got out of his car, flowers in hand, and walked up to the door. He sighed again before knocking on the door.

He waited as he heard someone walking to the door. Kenshin feared it might be Kaoru's father. However, and to Kenshin's relief, it wasn't.

Kaoru opened the door, and Kenshin's eyes widened. 'My gosh, she's beautiful…'

Kaoru's attire for the evening consisted of a light blue, slightly snug fitting sweater, and a very nice pair of blue jeans that weren't too tight or too lose. Her hair was done simply in a high ponytail with tendrils hanging by her ears. And of course her bangs were where they were supposed to be.

Kaoru also had her share of eye widening when she saw Kenshin. She then saw the roses. "Kenshin, are those for me?"

"Who else would they be for?" Kenshin asked, with a slight smirk.

Kaoru took them with a smile and quickly found a vase for them. When she returned to the door, she called out, "I'm leaving, dad! I'll be back later tonight!"

Kenshin heard her father respond, however couldn't make out what was said. Kaoru closed the front door and took Kenshin's arm.

"Well, shall we be off?" Kaoru asked.

Kenshin nodded and walked her out to the car, arm in arm.

Kenshin helped Kaoru into his car, being the true gentleman he is, then got into the driver's seat. "I hope you like where we are going. It was recommended to me by a good friend of mine."

"Oh no. Sano told you about this place?"

Kenshin laughed as he began driving to the restaurant, 'No, no, no! Megumi told me about this place. Supposed to be really good for a casual date such as this."

Kaoru sighed in relief, "Oh good. At first I thought we were going to go to some fast food place."

"No way. I'd never take you there on a date unless you asked to go there."

Kaoru smiled, and they sat in comfortable silence with the radio playing softly as background noise.

Kenshin found the place easy enough, and found a parking place. He quickly jumped out and helped Kaoru out of his car.

Kaoru grinned, "You know, you don't have to do that every time."

"Yes I do," was the response, "because I am a gentleman."

Once again, arm in arm, they entered the restaurant. The waiter asked how many in the party and Kenshin responded with 2. They were quickly escorted to a table for 2 towards the back of the restaurant.

"Order anything you want, Kaoru, I'll deal with the bill," Kenshin said with a smile.

Kaoru was about to argue with him, however realized it would be pointless.

They then ordered, Kenshin getting the 24 oz. steak with a baked potato and green beans. Kaoru got the chicken breast with mashed potatoes and corn.

They made small talk before the meal got there. Once it did arrive, a comfortable silence reigned as the food was ate.

Once finished, Kaoru said, "That was really good."

"I agree. I'll have to thank Megumi again tomorrow."

Kenshin left a tip for the waiter and walked up to the counter to pay the bill, not letting Kaoru see how much it was.

"Kenshin! I wanna just see it! I'm not gonna pay it!"

"I'll tell you later…" Kenshin said as he paid for the meal.

Kenshin then took Kaoru's arm and walked out to the car.

"So?" Kaoru asked.

"So, what?"

"How much was the bill?"

Kenshin sighed, "You won't give up on that, will you?"

"Nope! So, how much, how much?"

Kenshin helped her into the car, "$47.98."

Kaoru gasped, "Kenshin! That's so much!"

Kenshin sat in the driver's seat, "Don't worry about it. Really. Hm… it's only 9… You wanna go somewhere else?"

"Like where?" Kaoru asked.

"Um, how about the park? We'll take a stroll through the park."

"Sounds good to me!" Kaoru responded as Kenshin started the car and drove to the local park.

Kenshin parked in a nice, lighted area of the park, and once again helped Kaoru out of the car. Hand in hand they walked through the park until they reached the center of it where a beautiful fountain was.

Kenshin guided Kaoru over to a bench and sat down to watch the fountain. Kaoru sat next to him, also watching the fountain.

'Alright, Kenshin, you got her here… now what are you gonna do?' Kenshin carefully put his arm around Kaoru's shoulders. He felt the blush crawl onto his face.

Kaoru's face was also tinged a shade of pink at Kenshin's somewhat bold actions.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Kaoru didn't even think to say anything, it just came out to break the silence.

Kenshin nodded, "Yeah… except it doesn't hold a candle to you…"

Kaoru's face took on a new shade of red at Kenshin's compliment.

Kenshin turned to face Kaoru, and she turned to face him. Both faces had a shade of red to them. They slowly leaned in and shared a gentle kiss. They pulled away, only to kiss again, longer, and a little less innocent.

After their second kiss of the evening, they blushed more.

Kenshin cleared his throat and looked at his watch, "It's 10:30… better get you home, eh?"

"Yeah…" was Kaoru's reply.

Kenshin stood, and took Kaoru's arm. They walked back to Kenshin's car, and drove back to Kaoru's house in silence.

Kenshin walked Kaoru to her door, with 10 minutes to spare before her curfew.

"Well, I had a great time, Kenshin," Kaoru said with a smile.

"Me, too," Kenshin replied, also smiling. "I'll see you tomorrow then…" Kenshin leaned in for a quick kiss before turning to walk away.

"Bye, Kenshin," Kaoru called.

"Bye!" Kenshin called back as he ran to his car. He jumped into his car and drove off. When he got home he didn't notice the red flashing light on the answering machine. He went to his room and fell onto his bed, and into a peaceful nights sleep.

………………………………………

Kaoru walked into her house, and was met by her dad sitting on the couch.

"Did you have a good time," he asked.

"Yeah, and he got me home before 11."

"I noticed. Good night, Kaoru."

"Good night, dad," Kaoru said as she climbed the stairs and went into her room. She changed into her pajamas and went to sleep, smiling.

………………………………

A/N: Wow, fast update. I'm expecting a lot of reviews. Be like these people:

midnite cherry blossomz: Thanks. Is this soon enough?

thunder sister: Yea it is.

gaby (hyatt: Thanks.

snowfallenangel: Wow… so many reviews. That's awesome. Wish I could see it. Thanks a lot. Here's the update. Yea I think it kinda would hurt. Well I'm sure you'll get more reviews. I know I screwed up, I'll fix it later. ((calls off lawyers)) Happy New Year to you too. And um, I guess it's nice to meet all your friends… Um, email me directly and I'll tell you… or give me your AIM SN if you have one. Wow… people are shooting fireworks here… even though it's kind of illegal… Thanks a lot. "Oro" is Japanese for "huh" and WAFF stands for "warm and fuzzy feelings."

kenkao4ever: Thanks. Here's the quick update.

Kiryuu-500: Hey, shut your face, minion! Nah, I'm just kidding. Thanks a lot, and here's the update.


	24. What of Megumi’s Plan? The Bad Luck Lig...

Who Was That Skateboarding Fool!

By Altia

Disclaimer: I can't think of anything original to say here… so I'll just say I don't own it!

A/N: Gah… what a horrible time I've been having. Stupid school. Well, at least it's spring break now! Woo! Anyway, without further ado, Chapter 24!

Chapter 24: What of Megumi's Plan? The Bad Luck Light.

When Kaoru got to school Wednesday morning, a young man she knew from her science class approached her. He was basically what everyone could call a nerd.

"Um, Kaoru, I know something that I think you'll be interested in knowing," said the nerd.

"Oh, really?" Kaoru responded.

The nerd pushed up his glasses, which had slipped from the bridge of his nose, "Yes, well, there's been this big, tall guy walking around telling all the guys that if Kaoru Kamiya asked them to the prom, they should say they had dates already."

Kaoru's eyebrow raised. "Did this tall guy have hair like a rooster?" she asked.

The nerd nodded, "Yes, I don't know his name, but he does have hair like a rooster."

That sounded an awful lot like Kenshin's best friend, Sanosuke. "Thank you for telling me this," Kaoru said politely.

The nerd nodded before quickly walking off.

A sudden flash of anger went through Kaoru. Just something about that whole situation didn't seem right. Kenshin's best friend, Sano, going around and telling every guy that they should tell her they had a date! Not thinking rationally, Kaoru jumped to the conclusion that Kenshin must be behind this. She stormed off in search of the redheaded skater.

Kenshin was just putting away his books in his locker when a very irate-looking Kaoru approached him. She slammed his locker closed, nearly taking his fingers off in the process.

"Kaoru? Is there something wrong?" Kenshin asked with a nervous smile on his face.

"Don't you even try to act innocent with me, Kenshin!" she yelled. "What? You didn't think having me as a girlfriend was enough so you had to get your crony to tell all the guys to reject me if I asked them to the prom!" Kaoru glared at Kenshin, resisting the urge to smack him in the face.

Kenshin's eyes widened. What the heck was Kaoru talking about? "Kaoru, wha-?"

Kaoru couldn't hold her urge back any longer. She gave Kenshin a solid smack across his face, "I don't ever want to see you again!" With that, Kaoru turned on her heels and walked off.

A bewildered Kenshin slowly raised his hand to his offended cheek, a look of shock plastered on his face. What had just happened?

* * *

Kaoru sat under a tree, crying tears of frustration and sadness. 'Maybe I was wrong about Kenshin. Maybe he is just like those other skaters…' she thought, bringing her knees up to cover her face.

Kaoru didn't seem to notice her two best friends come and sit beside her. A worried Misao and Megumi attempted to comfort the sobbing Kaoru.

"What's wrong, Kaoru? What happened?" Misao asked, putting an arm around Kaoru.

Megumi offered her silent support by putting a hand on Kaoru's shoulder.

Kaoru managed to contain her sobs enough to speak. She raised her head, her cheeks soaked with the tears she had just shed. "Kenshin… he… did… something… horrible!" Kaoru cried, breaking down into sobs again.

Megumi and Misao exchanged worried looks.

"What did Kenshin do?" Megumi asked.

"He… got Sano to… tell the guys… not to go… with me to prom… He's just like… all those other skaters!" Kaoru sobbed, new tears spilling down her cheeks.

Megumi gasped slightly. Her plan had backfired. She needed to fix this, now. "Kaoru, listen to me. Kenshin wasn't the one who did that… It was me. I thought that you and Kenshin would need a push in the right direction, but all I did was make it worse," Megumi confessed, lowering her head.

Kaoru looked up at Megumi in shock, "Is that true? Then…!" Kaoru gasped. "I have to go apologize to Kenshin!" Kaoru got up and ran back into the school, hoping and praying that Kenshin was still there.

Misao looked at Megumi, "Well, that was interesting."

Megumi just sighed and kept her head down. She hoped she hadn't screwed up Kenshin and Kaoru's relationship.

* * *

The skater aforementioned above was not in school. He was slowly skating home. He didn't even feel like going to practice at the skate park. 'What was Kaoru talking about?' he wondered still. He really needed to talk to Sano, but didn't feel like talking to anyone.

He finally made it home. He tossed his skateboard in the corner and began to walk up the stairs to his room. However, before he did, he noticed the flashing light on the answering machine he had neglected the night before.

He sighed and went over and pressed the little button that said 'play.'

An automated voice came on. "You have one unheard message. First unheard message:"

Kenshin hesitated going up the stairs as an unfamiliar male voice came from the loudspeaker.

"Hello, I am calling from the Yokohama Hospital Emergency Room. I'm calling for a Mr. Kenshin Himura. Mr. Himura, you're parents were involved in a very bad car accident. If you could give me a call at…"

Kenshin stood in shock. His parents had been in a car wreck? Could this day get any worse? He grabbed the phone and quickly called the number given.

"Hello? Yeah, this is Kenshin Himura. My parents were involved in that car accident? Yes… Yes, I'll come immediately! Thank you, bye!" Kenshin hung up the phone and grabbed his car keys.

'I've got to get to Yokohama Hospital! But I gotta drive safe…' Kenshin hopped into his Jeep and sped off towards the hospital that held his parents.

* * *

Kaoru didn't find Kenshin at school. This alone had worried her. When she got home, she tried to call his home, but only the answering machine picked up. She left a short, sweet message.

"Kenshin, it's me. Listen, I'm sorry about today. It was a big misunderstanding. Please call me back, if not I'll see you tomorrow. I love you, bye."

Kaoru sighed. She was worried. Kenshin usually always picked his phone up. 'He's probably listening to loud music, or maybe he's outside.'

Still, this didn't help Kaoru's worrying. She could tell something wasn't right, and she really wanted to find out what.

A/N: Woo, evil plot twist! Hm, hopefully after the AP tests in May I'll be able to get on a regular update schedule. Until then, you'll just have to cross your fingers and hope I get time. Leave me a review! Tell me how evil my plot twist is!

enchantedsleeper: Sorry it took so long. Well, first she had to deal with this newest plot twist! Yes, eventually. Shishio was just there for comic relief really. I don't think anyone really knows where Kenshin's scar came from… Yes, so many questions…

tintin-chan: Yes I take forever, don't I? I don't bow to anyone's requests! Yes, me too…

crasyducky: Yes, and this time was a slow update…

Kiryuu-500: I know I'm mean. Sorry for the slow update, minion.

Maui: Yes, I've been writing this for quite a while. I try to keep the characters in character. It's hard sometimes though.

vem: Thanks. Here's the update.

sapphire amber: Thanks, sorry for the slow update.

aoshilover: Thanks a lot, sorry for taking forever.

AmoriGoddessOfTheEarth: Thanks.

Anaji: (gets pounced on) Uh, thanks? Yup, you'll just have to wait and find out. Thanks.

midnite cherry blossomz: Thanks! Sorry for the slow update.

Peachie-Chan: Thanks. Now you know.

ChibiSakura: Thanks, and here's the update.

inuyasha/kenshin gurl: Thanks for the support. Here's the update. Enjoy.

kik-ting: Yes, but Shishio deserves it. Now you know about the light.

RavenC: Yes, poor Kenshin. Kaoru has her reasons to be revealed at a later time. Here's the update.

jessica: Thanks. Enjoy.

angelblade402: Thanks for your constructive criticism/question. The reason for that is, that is just my style of writing. Even though I'm almost 18, I've never had a boyfriend, nor been on a date. So if I seem a bit hesitant on writing romantic things, it's because I've never actually experienced anything like that. Hopefully that answers your question.

me: Here's the update. Thanks a lot.

bryttaney: Thanks. Yup, lots of love. Very scary. Poor Kenshin. Obviously Kenshin and Kaoru did. Yea, it took me forever to find the right name. Sorry for taking so long. Enjoy!


	25. A Worried Kaoru and A Sorrowful Kenshin

Who Was That Skateboarding Fool!

By Altia

Disclaimer: I can't think of anything original to say here… so I'll just say I don't own it!

A/N: You know, when I wrote my evil plot twist, I had it all planned out how I was going to do it. Then, the AP tests hit, and all my creative juices went out the window. Now, after almost two months recovery, I believe I'm ready to write again! That is, until I get my scores from the test… ((sweatdrop)). Anyways, enough about me, here's chapter… uh… what number? ((someone whispers 25)). 25? Really? Wow…

Chapter 25: A Worried Kaoru and A Sorrowful Kenshin

Kenshin, despite his earlier ideas of driving safely, drove like a madman to get to Yokohama hospital. He reached the hospital very late at night, extremely tired from all the days' events. He eventually found a place to park in the busy hospital's lot, and walked inside, looking for the Emergency Room.

He approached the front desk, but paused before he reached there. No one this placed looked familiar to him; this was the hospital that Kaoru and her friends had snuck him out of, and the woman at the front desk was the same as that day. 'Oh, well, nothing can be done about it,' he thought. He walked up and asked the receptionist, "Hello, ma'am. I'm Kenshin Himura, and I'm looking for my parent's room. They were involved in a car accident," he said slowly.

The woman looked up from her computer screen, giving Kenshin an odd look before returning her gaze to the monitor. "Ah, yes, Mr. and Mrs. Himura's room is down the hall and to the left, room 103," she said, returning to her work the instant the message was said.

Kenshin nodded his thanks, even though he knew the woman was paying him no mind. He began walking down the hallway, making the turn at the appropriate place, and looked for room 103. He soon found it, and walked inside. What he saw nearly made him pass out…

* * *

Kaoru was definitely worried. She had called Kenshin's house several times since her first message, and every time the answering machine picked up. She was beginning to hate the generic automatic response of the machine. 

'Maybe I should go to his house and see if he's home, and if he's ok,' she thought. She walked from her room into the living room where her father was sitting.

"Dad, is it ok if I go to Kenshin's house for a bit? He hasn't picked up his phone all day, and I'm a bit worried," Kaoru asked, hoping that her father would allow her to go.

Koketsu was silent for a bit before slowly nodding his head. "Let me drive you there, Kaoru. It's too dark for you to walk there by yourself," he said as he stood up and grabbed the car keys by the door.

Kaoru smiled as she rushed out to the car. She didn't realize how late it really was until she actually stepped outside. 'I hope Kenshin is ok…' she thought desperately.

Koketsu got into the car and started it up. He followed Kaoru's directions on how to get to Kenshin's house.

When they got there, Kenshin's car was nowhere in sight. However, there was a light on inside. Kaoru looked over to her father, who nodded. She got out of the car and walked to the front door.

"Kenshin? Are you home?" she asked as she knocked. The door swung open from her knocking on it. This really worried Kaoru.

She slowly walked in and saw the answering machine with it's flashing lights, one on "New messages" and one on "Old messages". She pressed the button for the old messages and heard the message about Kenshin's parents.

Her eyes widened. 'Oh, no! Kenshin!' she thought as she ran to her father's car, making sure to close the door.

"Dad! Kenshin's parents… they were in a car accident. He's at Yokohama Hospital right now!" she said, asking her father a silent question.

Koketsu sat for a bit before sighing and nodding his head. If his daughter wanted to comfort her boyfriend in his time of need, who was he to stop her? He started the car and began driving towards the hospital.

* * *

When Kaoru arrived at the hospital, she immediately rushed to the Emergency Ward, hoping to find Kenshin. 

As soon as she got there, she stopped dead in her tracks. There, in the waiting room, sat Kenshin. His head was down, hands behind his neck, and his body was shuddering from the sobs that racked his small frame.

Kaoru slowly approached Kenshin, like one would to an injured animal. She wasn't sure what his reaction to her being there would be, so she moved with caution.

"Kenshin?" she asked softly, stopping a couple of feet in front of him.

He slowly looked up; his face was stained with tears, both old and new. He jumped to his feet, throwing his arms around Kaoru and sobbing into her shoulder.

"I… I never… got the chance… now… too late… too late…" he sobbed out, not really making any sense.

Kaoru did her best to comfort him; she moved them so that they were both sitting, Kenshin still sobbing and trying to form sentences.

After a while, Kenshin's sobbing lessened to the point of the occasional shuddering breath.

Kaoru had her arms tightly around Kenshin. "Tell me what happened, Kenshin, please," she whispered, hoping to get an answer she could understand this time.

Kenshin stayed silent for a long time before taking a deep breath. "My parents… they're gone… By the time I got here… I was too late… Didn't get to say good-bye…" he said quietly, his voice harsh from crying so much.

Kaoru's eyes widened at the news. She pulled Kenshin closer to her, rubbing his back in a silent comfort. She knew there was nothing she could do or say to stop his hurting; she had been through this all before when her mother died. Though, Kaoru was young at the time, and didn't understand the concept of death. Kaoru could only imagine the pain Kenshin was going through after losing not just one parent, but both.

Together they sat in silence, with Kaoru's father watching them from far away. He could tell the boy had been run through the wringers, and Kaoru was doing her best to help him.

Kaoru sighed slightly, remembering the whole reason of coming to this hospital. She took a deep breath as she began her speech. "Kenshin, about earlier today, it was all a big misunderstanding. Some guy told me that your friend Sano was going around and telling the guys in school not to go to the prom with me, and I thought you were the one behind it. As it turns out, Megumi was the mastermind, but I found out after I exploded on you. I'm sorry, Kenshin, I really am," she said, resting her head against his, which was on her shoulder.

Kenshin was silent for a long while before hugging Kaoru tightly. "I figured it was something like that, Kaoru. It's ok, I forgive you. I think I would have done the same thing if I was in your place," he said, moving his head from her shoulder to look her in the eyes.

Kaoru smiled, her eyes holding back the tears of joy that threatened to spill over. She resisted the urge to cry, knowing she had to be strong for Kenshin.

Kenshin moved his face close to hers, pausing a second before kissing her on the lips.

Kaoru was a bit shocked at this, but the shock was short lived. She put her arms around his neck and gladly returned the kiss.

It was around this time that Koketsu walked up to the couple and cleared his throat.

Kenshin, instantly recognizing the voice, jumped back at least three feet from Kaoru, his body ridged. He gave Kaoru a look that said, "Why didn't you tell me your father was here?"

Kaoru just gave a sheepish grin, and a shrug.

Koketsu looked at Kenshin, then back to Kaoru. "Well, are we planning to stay here all night?" he asked somewhat gruffly.

Kaoru shot a glare at her father. "Dad! Don't be so insensitive!" she said, angry with her father for being so harsh.

Kenshin chuckled slightly, but everyone could tell it was forced. "It's ok, Kaoru. I have no more business here. I should get home and start finding the paperwork that needs to be found," he said, referring to his parents' wills. At least they had had the hindsight to make them in advance, especially with how much they traveled.

Kaoru looked over at Kenshin, worried about how he was feeling at the moment. She decided not to push the issue. "Ok then, I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow then. Kenshin?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Depends," he said softly. "Bye, Kaoru, Mr. Kamiya." He turned and walked out of the hospital and to his car. There was a lot to get done, and not a lot of time to do it.

Kaoru sighed deeply. "Let's go home, dad. I'm tired," she said, her fatigue evident in her voice.

Koketsu put his hand on Kaoru's shoulder before walking out to the car and driving home.

The next few days were going to be very challenging for Kenshin and Kaoru, that much was evident to Koketsu. All he could do was offer his support in any way he could.

* * *

A/N: Hmm… not much of a chapter, but it's better then nothing, right? AX05 starts tomorrow! W00t! This year I'm cosplaying as Chichiri from Fushigi Yuugi and Inuyasha from well… Inuyasha… duh… Anyways, leave me a review! Be like these people! 

enchantedsleeper: Well, I hope I smoothed out my evil plot twist good enough. No problem, it's what I do… I write and answer questions… A very sad existence.

Xujin: Hopefully that was your reaction for this update, too. Well, not exactly ok… Well, if you were in that place, would you have thought any different, especially with the prejudices that Kaoru has? Sorry for the slow update.

Peachie-Chan: Sorry about the short chappies.

chizuru-chan: Well, they do eventually kiss…

Angel Sunami: Thank you. Yes, I do make some errors that I will eventually go back and correct. But when you have no one to be a beta reader, it's hard to catch the mistakes until it's too late.

Khmer Moon Blossoms: Sorry for the long wait. Well, I updated. I don't think I'm that good an author…

midnite cherry blossomz: Yup, just a really horrible day for Kenshin. Well, obviously Kenshin did.

ryulin: Thanks. Sorry about the long wait.

phoenix-tabuutz: Here's the update.

Anime Girl: Sorry for taking so long to update.


	26. The Aftermath What's a Skaterboy to do?

Who was that Skateboarding Fool!

By Altia

Disclaimer: Wish I owned it, but I don't. I'm just a poor college student, so don't sue.

A/N: Wow… preparing for college is a lot of work… Well, I managed to squeeze out this chapter, on my new laptop no less! Woo! Anyway, enjoy chapter 26!

Chapter 26: The Aftermath. What is a Skater Boy to do?

Kenshin slowly drove home, knowing all of the things he had to do over the next few days. He sighed deeply as he parked his car in the driveway. Getting out of the car, he walked in, and went to the answering machine. He heard Kaoru's message and gave a sad smile. He deleted both messages.

He was too tired to do anything except sleep. He walked upstairs, looking down the hall at his parents' room. He slowly shook his head, turning to walk into his room. He flopped face down on his bed, not bothering to change clothes. Things were going to become very difficult, but somehow Kenshin would have to manage.

:OoO:OoO:OoO:OoO:OoO:

Kaoru tossed and turned in her bed, knowing that Kenshin was going through so much pain, but there was nothing she could do. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to go to sleep.

Eventually, sleep overtook her, and she awoke the next morning, not really ready for school.

'I wonder if Kenshin will be there today,' she thought, getting up and doing her morning ritual. She walked downstairs, ate her breakfast, and said goodbye to her father. She walked outside, squinting slightly at the bright light.

Misao and Megumi caught up to their friend and instantly started bombarding her with questions of how her and Kenshin were doing. Kaoru calmly explained what had gone on, and the two girls instantly felt grief for the poor skater.

When they arrived at school, Kenshin was nowhere to be seen. 'He probably has a lot of work to do concerning his parents' death,' she reasoned, though she felt bad that she wouldn't see him all day.

Misao, almost as if sensing her friend's despair, smiled as she put her arm around Kaoru's shoulders. "Don't worry, Kaoru. You can see him after school," she said.

Kaoru nodded, her own smile gracing her face. "You're right, Misao. Thanks for reminding me of that. Now maybe I can actually concentrate at school," Kaoru said. Together the three girls walked into the building to begin yet another boring day.

:OoO:OoO:OoO:OoO:OoO:

Kenshin slept in more then he should if he hoped to go to school. He rolled onto his back and groaned, not really wanting to move. Knowing he had a lot of work to do, and not a lot of time to do it, he reluctantly got up.

Walking into his parents' office, he began looking through the multitude of files and paperwork that they had. Almost right away he found their life insurance forms, so he put those to the side. He wasn't sure if he would need them, but he wanted to keep them to the side just in case.

He never realized how much work his parents' were actually doing until he read some of their reports. It was then also that he realized how little money they made. 'No wonder they had to work so much…' he thought, amazed at the sacrifices his parents made for him. Most people his age had a part time job, but he never had to get one. His parents had given him so much, yet most of the time he wasn't grateful like he should have been.

Kenshin held back his tears as he continued looking through the files. Finally, he found what he was looking for: his parents' wills. He briefly looked over them, and of course everything was left to him. He sighed, knowing that he now had more responsibility then he ever had before.

He stood up and walked to the phone. He called the man who helped his parents put their wills together, and talked with him as to how this was going to happen.

The man told Kenshin he would have to submit the wills through the court system not too long after his parents' funerals. Only by submitting the documents would he be able to keep his parents' belongings.

After talking a while to the man, Kenshin finished his conversation and hung up the phone. He got his parents' life insurance forms and called the agency. He knew some of that money would be used for their funerals, so he wanted to get the money as soon as possible.

By the time he got off the phone with the insurance company, it was late afternoon. He had yet to have anything to eat, and was really hungry. Kenshin got to his feet and began to walk to the kitchen when there was a knock on his door.

Kenshin blinked in confusion, wondering who it could be at this time of the day. He walked to the door and opened it. He was slightly surprised to see Kaoru, Misao, Megumi, and Sano outside his door.

"Uh, hi everyone," he said slowly.

"We were worried about you, Kenshin, so we decided to drop by," Sano said, a genuine look of worry on his face.

"Hi, Kenshin," Kaoru said softly. "Mind if we come inside?"

"Sure… Come on in," Kenshin responded, moving out of the door way and watching them as they entered.

Everyone there couldn't help but noticed the papers that lay spread out across the living room table, some on the floor as well.

"Go ahead and sit anywhere. I was just about to get something to eat," Kenshin said, once again walking towards the kitchen.

Kaoru started to follow Kenshin into the kitchen before she was grabbed on the arm by both Megumi and Misao.

"Hey! Let me go you guys!" she yelled, a bit upset at them stopping her.

"Kaoru, you know as well as we do that you plus kitchen can only equal disaster," Megumi said, a slight smirk on her face. Misao just nodded her head in agreement.

"Oh, geesh you guys! I won't touch anything! I just want to talk to Kenshin!" Kaoru whined, not believing her friends had such little faith in her cooking skills. Granted, they were not the best, but she could at least make toast… most of the time…

Her friends gave her an odd look before letting go. Sano, this whole time, watched with slight amusement.

Kaoru glared slightly at her friends, and Sano for good measure, before turning and walking into the kitchen with Kenshin.

"Is she really that bad? Cooking, I mean," he asked, choosing his words carefully as long as Kaoru was in earshot.

Misao and Megumi nodded sagely, having experienced Kaoru's cooking first hand on more then one occasion.

Sano's face twisted into a disgusted look as he let that topic fall.

Kenshin, meanwhile, was looking through his shelves for something to eat. He was deep in thought when Kaoru entered the kitchen.

"Kenshin?" she said softly, not wanting to startle him.

The boy in question was startled none the less as he turned his head to look at Kaoru. "Yeah, Kaoru? Something you need?" he asked, turning back to look once more.

"Well, I just noticed that you weren't looking very good. How are you feeling?" she asked softly, not knowing if it was too soon to bring up the subject of his parents or not.

Kenshin let out a soft sigh as he turned his attention fully on Kaoru. "I'm dealing, Kaoru. That's all I can say right now."

Kaoru nodded her head and hugged Kenshin around the waist. She could tell he was in desperate need of someone, anyone, and she was willing to be the person he needed.

Kenshin smiled slightly as he returned the hug, his search for food momentarily forgotten. He could tell Kaoru wanted to help him in anyway that she could, and he was thankful for it.

"Thank you," he whispered. There were no other words he could think of at that moment.

Kaoru tightened her hold on Kenshin, smiling. "Anytime, Kenshin," she whispered back. She suddenly became aware of the three sets of eyes that she felt on them. Kaoru turned her head just in time to see the three heads snap back behind the corner.

Kenshin looked over where Kaoru was looking and slowly shook his head. "I think we need to teach the eavesdroppers a bit of a lesson, don't you think?" he asked, a mischievous look in his eyes.

Kaoru grinned and nodded her head. "And I know just how to do it too," she said, the idea already forming in her mind…

:OoO:OoO:OoO:OoO:OoO:

A/N: Whoo. Long chapter, no? Oh, and I'm not sure if that's what you have to do as far as wills go, so if I'm wrong, I'm sorry. Be nice and leave me a review. Make them inspire me! The more review I receive, the faster I'll update! So make me happy! Be like these people!

kenshee: Sorry for the slow update. Thanks a lot.

Dark Hope Assassin: Don't judge a fic by it's genre. Thanks a lot. Hopefully I can throw Hiko back into the mix at some point. Thanks a lot. I didn't know my fic could do that…. Thank you again. I'm shocked you think so highly of my fic… I have a tendency to do that… either go too fast or too slow. It's a curse… I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. I write to my mood, so obviously when I wrote that chapter I was angsty. You'll find out why soon enough. Yes, but if she stopped doing that, she wouldn't be Kaoru now would she? Again, same question as before, just replace Kaoru with Rurouni Kenshin. Thanks. Well, I'm not a good WAFF writer, so sorry if that doesn't please you.

enchantedsleeper: Three words: Evil Plot Twist. Maybe so…

midnite cherry blossomz: Poor Kenshin, I agree. But now he gets to be comforted by Kaoru…

the lone wonderer not so sad: Aoshi will come back. How could you think he would let his lose to Kenshin go so easily?

phoenix-tabuutz: Hopefully most sadness is over…

Amber Wolf: Thanks a lot. I do feel sorry for your brother. Enjoy the update.

The Mystic Firefly: Thank you so much for reading my fic. Yeah, have to have sadness in there somewhere.

Peachie-Chan: Yes he does.

Universal Fighter: Thanks a lot.

Narugami Kiyou: Uh, thanks…? Here's the update.

Xujin: Yes, poor Kenshin. Wow, that's pretty bad. Here's the update.


	27. Revenge! And Now to Pick up the Pieces

Who was that Skateboarding Fool!

By Altia

Disclaimer: If I owned it, would I be writing fan fiction? No! I'd be animating the Jinchuu Arc!

A/N: Phew… in between getting ready for college, having a surgery to remove wisdom teeth, and other difficulties, I haven't had much time to write. Hopefully I can make up with chapter 27!

Chapter 27: Revenge! And Now to Pick up the Pieces.

Kenshin chuckled slightly at the look on Kaoru's face. He wondered exactly what she had in mind. "Alright, master of torture, what's the deal?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"You'll see," she said, poking her head into the living room. "Are you guys hungry? Kenshin wants to know if you want something to eat since he feels guilty eating when other people aren't," Kaoru called out to them, noticing the innocent looks on all of their faces as they sat, not in their original places mind you.

Sano thought about it a bit before nodding his head. "I could eat," he said, his eyes lighting up at the mention of food.

Megumi gave his shoulder a light push. "You never stop eating! I'm amazed you don't weight a ton by now," she said. Turning her attention back to Kaoru, she nodded. "I'm actually hungry, too."

Misao nodded happily. "I haven't had anything since breakfast since I forgot my lunch today!" she said, bouncing slightly in one place.

Kaoru grinned. 'Good, everyone's hungry,' she thought. "Alright, I'll tell Kenshin and food will be done soon," she said, pulling her head into the kitchen with an evil grin on her face.

Kenshin got a bit nervous about the look on Kaoru's face. He had a feeling he knew her plan, and he just hoped her friends, and his, didn't end up in the hospital with food poisoning. The only reason he feared her cooking was from what her friends said earlier.

Kaoru walked over to him. "Go ahead and cook something. I'll add some 'finishing touches' at the end," she said, the grin not leaving her face.

Kenshin chuckled a bit nervously, suddenly feeling sorry for the three who sat in the living room. He quickly went about preparing some sandwiches, putting some leftover potato salad on the side with some chips. That was about the only thing he could prepare on such short notice.

Seeing that Kenshin had finished plating the food, Kaoru walked over and began her work. She knew that Megumi had no tolerance for hot things, so Kaoru added extra pepper to her sandwich and the potato salad, making sure to mix it in good. Kaoru then turned to Misao's plate, knowing the hyper girl hated soy sauce. Again, Kaoru carefully added soy sauce to her sandwich and potato salad. She then turned to Kenshin. "What does Sano hate?" she asked, an evil glint in her eyes.

Kenshin blinked. "I don't think there is anything that Sano hates," he said slowly, thinking. Sano would eat a shoe if he was hungry enough.

Kaoru, quickly getting impatient, added as many weird sauces and seasonings as she could to Sano's food, knowing one of them would get the tall skater.

Kaoru grabbed her plate, which was untouched, and Misao and Megumi's, taking them into the living room. Kenshin followed behind her, taking his untouched plate and Sano's.

Kaoru handed the girls their plates before sitting down, starting to eat her food. Kenshin handed Sano his plate as well, sitting down next to Kaoru. She carefully watched their expressions, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

Megumi's face took on a look of horror as the heat from the pepper hit her tongue. She jumped to her feet, somehow managing to not spill the food.

"Water! Water! I need water!" she yelled, running into the kitchen and getting a glass full of water. She downed a few glasses, finally cooling the fire in her mouth.

In the living room, Misao's face nearly turned green as the taste of soy sauce seeped in from the sandwich. She jumped up, holding her hand over her mouth before running to the nearest trashcan and spitting the half chewed chunk of sandwich out.

'There's only one person who knows I hate soy sauce, and that's Kaoru. Wait…' Misao thought, suddenly adding two and two together.

In the kitchen, Megumi reached the same conclusion.

The girl in question was sitting in the living room, laughing her head off at her two friends. "Haha! Teaches you guys not to eavesdrop on people!" she said, between her laughter.

Megumi and Misao stood next to each other, glaring at Kaoru. "Sano spied too! Why didn't anything happen to his food?" they demanded at the same time.

Kaoru looked over at Sano, who was happily eating his food, seemingly oblivious to what was happening; Her face turned into a look of pure disgust, along with Kenshin's.

"We did do stuff to his food… He just doesn't seem to care," Kenshin said slowly, trying to keep his own lunch down.

Sano blinked, looking up from his food. He saw everyone looking at him. "What? Is there something on my face?" he asked with a mouthful of food.

Everyone slowly shook their heads, not wanting to burst Sano's oblivious bubble.

He shrugged, returning to his meal and finishing it quickly. Everyone else just returned to their seats and made small talk until he was done.

Sano stood, patting his belly and stretching his arms. "Well, Kenshin, hate to eat and run, but I've gotta get home. Got homework to do," he said.

Megumi and Misao also stood. They also said they had things they had to do, and knew Kenshin was probably busy.

Kaoru stayed in her spot. "I think I'll stay for a bit longer, if it's ok with Kenshin," she said, looking over to the red-headed skater in question.

Kenshin blinked, but nodded his head, telling Kaoru it was ok if she wanted to stay. Their friends said their final good byes and walked out, leaving the two alone.

Kenshin stood, going around and picking up all the papers that seemed to be everywhere. Kaoru followed in suit, helping Kenshin to clean the mess around his house.

She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help but look at a few of the papers as she piled them in her arms. Many were long, drawn out reports about various things, and a few had graphs and images that, she assumed, helped to illustrate the point of the report. Putting all the papers into a neat pile on Kenshin's living room table, she turned to face him.

Kenshin finished picking up the last of the paperwork, putting his pile next to Kaoru's on the table. "Thanks a lot. I probably won't be the most fun person the next few weeks," he said, a watery smile on his face.

Kaoru shook her head, a small smile gracing her face. "It doesn't matter to me how 'fun' you are. It's just the sole fact that I can spend time with you that makes me happy," she said, looking into his amethyst eyes.

Kenshin blushed a bit, turning his gaze to the floor. "I just don't know what to do. Everything's happening so fast, and nothing's going to be the same. I can't go back in time, no matter how much I wish. I was so angry at them leaving me again, I didn't even say good bye when they left. I never said good bye," he said softly, silent tears dropping from his face and onto the carpet.

Kaoru's eyes widened, his babbling sobs from the night before suddenly making sense. She quickly walked over to him, putting her arms around him tightly. 'If only there was something more I could do for him,' she thought, wanting so much to make his pain go away.

Kenshin returned Kaoru's embrace, nearly crushing her against him. He rested his forehead against her shoulder, more tears falling from his eyes. He made no sound of sobbing, though the tears still fell. Why did this happen to him? Why right now? These were things that he didn't know the answer to, and probably never would.

"Kenshin, no matter what happens, I'll be here for you. Don't forget that," Kaoru said softly, rubbing his back in a comforting manner. There was nothing else she could do except tell him that.

He slowly nodded, a small smile coming across his face. "Thank you, Kaoru. Thank you so much," he mumbled, not relaxing his hold on her.

They stood like that for a long while, one supporting the other. This moment in time seemed to make Kenshin remember his past, the reason he got his scar.

Kaoru's mind also returned to her own painful past, the reason she hated skaters. 'Maybe it's about time I told him,' she thought, a small sigh escaping her lips.

"Kenshin, remember I first met you? Remember how I hated skaters so much? Well… I think it's about time for me to tell you why," she said softly, pulling away from him a bit. She sat down on his couch, beckoning him to sit next to her.

Kenshin nodded, following Kaoru over to the couch and sitting next to her.

She took a hold of his hand, and took a long, shuddering breath. "This isn't going to be easy for me, Kenshin. So please, bear with me if I seem on the emotional side," she said, looking over at him. She stared into his eyes, gaining strength from his gentle gaze.

Kenshin smiled, tightening his hold on her hand. "It's ok, Kaoru. Whatever it was, it was the past, and it can't hurt you now," he said, scooting a bit closer to her to make her feel comfortable.

Kaoru took another long, deep breath as the memories began flooding back into her mind. 'They might not be able to hurt me physically, but emotionally, I don't think they'll ever stop,' she thought.

:OoO:OoO:OoO:OoO:

A/N: Well… longer chapter I hope? Review and inspire me to update faster! Be like these kind people!

The Mystic Firefly: Well, next chapter Kaoru will tell all, and maybe Kenshin too. Well, WAFF isn't exactly my strong point, but I hope I'm getting better at it.

ken: Thanks. Enjoy this update.

Universal Fighter: Well, for me that was long… Enjoy this chapter.

Olida: Here's the update.

Surface Dweller: Thanks. Well, I gotta keep the tension up. Well, we'll have to see what Kenshin decides to do. Well, it wasn't as evil as it could have been. I could've made Kaoru cook the whole meal, but that's just too extreme. Enjoy the update.

kristin: Thanks. Here's the update.

enchantedsleeper: Hope you enjoyed their revenge.


	28. Memories Revisited and Pasts Revealed

Who was that Skateboarding Fool!

By Altia

A/N: Wow… I feel really inspired to write this chapter. Maybe because it's finally the moment of truth: The moment when Kaoru reveals why she hates skaters. I've been contemplating this since the first chapter, and finally the time has come. Be warned, there will be angst among other things that I can't mention here or else it would spoil it. Just be aware this chapter may contain mentions of things that could be sensitive to some readers. You have been warned, so please don't flame me later. Here we go!

Chapter 28: Memories Revisited and Pasts Revealed.

Kaoru's gaze shifted to the floor, her eyes closing slowly. She took a deep breathe, knowing that this wasn't going to be easy. She was about to unlock the box that held many painful memories after having hid them for almost four years. She turned her gaze towards Kenshin, believing she was ready to tell him.

Kenshin sat in silence, watching her carefully. 'Something really painful must have happened to her,' he reasoned. However, he was here for her, even if she wasn't ready to talk about it yet.

"Well, I guess it all started back in the 9th grade," she began, her voice soft and lacking her normal confidence.

:OoO:Flashback:OoO:

A happy Kaoru waved goodbye to her new friends Misao and Megumi, glad to have met such nice people after her first week at high school. She usually had a hard time making friends, since not a lot of people appreciated her being basically a loud mouth that told everyone what she thought about them.

Sadly, she did not live in the same direction as her friends, but she didn't think it would matter. She got to know the route from her home to the school rather quickly. The only thing that made her nervous was having to walk by the skate park that had just recently opened.

It wasn't the park that made her nervous as much as the people who went there. They were mostly upperclassmen and seemed to be involved in the wrong crowd. They always dressed in colors of the local gangs, and were always blasting their rap music from either their cars or their portable boom boxes.

Kaoru sighed, knowing that the longer she delayed her walk home, the more of those people would show up at the park. Of course, no matter the time of day, there always seemed to be a lot of them there, since most skipped school anyway. Not to mention that today was Friday, which meant even more then on a normal weekday.

It was a rather cloudy and gloomy day for early September, but the weather that year had been strange anyway, so Kaoru didn't give it a second thought. The only thing she regretted was not bringing an umbrella since it seemed like it would start raining at any moment.

And wouldn't you know her luck? The instant she thought about rain, the sky unleashed it's fury and rain poured down. Many students began running home; they seemed to have forgotten their umbrellas as well.

Kaoru groaned slightly, realizing she had worn the wrong kind of clothes for this weather. Her attire for the day were semi-tight jeans and a pale baby t-shirt. She quickly crossed her arms over her chest and began walking home at a brisk pace, hoping to get out of the rain before she caught a cold.

Kaoru grinned, knowing she was making very good time as she came to the skate park in a matter of five minutes. Normally she took twice that.

However that day, she wished she had went home in her normal pace.

Just as she was walking past the entrance of the skate park, a group of 7 skaters walked out. Kaoru ran right into the leader of the gang, falling backwards onto her butt.

"Ow… Sorry about that," she said, looking up at the older boy.

"Sorry? Ya think a sorry's gonna be good enough! Huh!" he demanded, his voice slurred from the obvious consumption of alcohol. In fact, the whole group reeked of booze and drugs.

Kaoru knew she was in trouble, big trouble. However, the man angered her by refusing her apology. "Hey, big mouth, I said I was sorry! What else can I do?" she yelled, getting up and glaring at the skater who was at least two heads taller then her.

"Why you…!" the man yelled, pulling his arm back, ready to punch.

Another skater quickly grabbed his friend's arm. "Hey, man. Relax. This one's a looker. No need to bruise that pretty face of hers," he said, his gaze going up and down Kaoru's body.

Kaoru narrowed her eyes, these punks really were getting on her nerves. Inside her mind, she heard a voice that told her to run, but by the time she heard it, she was already surrounded.

"Yer right… She's quite a hottie for a freshman," another said, reaching out and trying to grab Kaoru's shoulder.

Somehow, she avoided his grasp, only to be grabbed by another. She turned scared eyes towards the one who grabbed her. It was the leader of the group, and he had an almost evil look on his face.

He tightened his grip on her. "Alright, boys, who wants the first go at her?" he asked, his voice no where near as slurred as it used to be.

There were a bunch of calls, some trying to reach for Kaoru first. The leader pulled her away, keeping her just out of their reach. He turned to one of the others, pushing Kaoru towards him. "There ya go. Have fun, but dun ferget to leave us some," he said with a chuckle.

The man's eyes sparkled with delight as Kaoru was pushed against his chest. Kaoru had been screaming this whole time, trying to fight her way out of their grasps, yet her yells were drown out by the others.

:OoO:Return to present:OoO:

Kaoru paused in her story, unaware of the tears that had been falling from her face. She took a long, slow shuddering breathe, trying to calm herself so she could continue.

Kenshin's eyes were wide. Had she gone through what she was implying with that story? He didn't want to jump to conclusions, however he felt a strong swell of anger from deep inside him. He gave her hand a light squeeze and flashed a reassuring smile her way.

Kaoru looked up to see Kenshin's smile. She took another deep breathe and continued her story.

:OoO:Now back to the Flashback in progress:OoO:

The skater, who wasn't exactly small by any means, grabbed a hold of her shirt. However, before anything could be removed or done, a good Samaritan saw the group of boys and the yells of a girl. He ran over to stop them, after calling the police on his cell phone.

This man began pulling the half drunk teenagers away, knocking them to the ground before finally finding the scared Kaoru in the grasp of one. The older man was enraged at the audacity of these teenagers to attempt something like this in the middle of a busy area.

Just then, the sound of sirens were heard right around the corners, and the skaters quickly bolted, leaving a terrified, sobbing Kaoru in a heap on the ground. The man who had tried to help knelt beside her, worry on his face.

The police pulled up, some running after the boys that they could still see. One of the officers joined the man at Kaoru's side, draping a blanket over her shoulders.

There was not much else they could do until she calmed herself down.

:OoO:Back to present again:OoO:

By the time Kaoru finished with her story, she was sobbing in Kenshin's arm. She had no idea how she was able to tell the whole thing, but she had managed to do it.

Kenshin held her close to him, slowly rubbing her back in a comforting manner. Her face was buried into his chest, so he gently rested his chin atop her head. He said nothing, not really sure what he should say in a situation like this. He had never known anyone who had nearly gotten raped, so this was a new experience for him.

Kaoru's sobs slowly subsided as the memories of that day faded from her mind. She turned her teary gaze towards Kenshin, who quickly wiped away the remaining tears.

"Were they ever caught?" he asked slowly, anger still pulsing through him. If they hadn't been, he was tempted to go and hunt them down himself. However, he quickly dismissed that thought, knowing that it was impossible.

"A couple were caught and turned in the others. They were only sent to juvie for a couple of months, since they were still underage. The only reason they got that was because they were drinking, not for attempted rape. I think the courts also ordered them to be separated. I don't know what happened to them after that. They're probably either died or in jail by now," she said softly, finding herself still crying slightly.

Kenshin tightened his arms around her again, lightly kissing her head. "Did you ever find out who that man was that helped you?" he asked.

Kaoru nodded. "Yeah, his name was Okina. I found out later that he was Misao's grandfather who was out doing some shopping when he saw that," she said, smiling at the memory of Misao's face when she heard her grandfather punched out some teenage punks.

Kenshin chuckled lightly, somehow relieved that it had been Misao's grandfather instead of just some random person. "I guess I can understand now why you hate skaters," he said softly. "I'm just glad you gave me a chance."

Kaoru nodded, smiling. It was then she realized she had been sitting in his lap for most of the story. Her face flushed a nice shade of red as she slowly moved from his lap back to the couch next to him.

Kenshin's smile slowly spread at the light blush on Kaoru's face. His hand slowly reached up to trace the cross shaped scar on his cheek.

Kaoru looked at Kenshin, a bit worried. "Something wrong, Kenshin?" she asked, watching him as he fingered his scar.

He slowly shook his head. "Nothing's wrong, Kaoru. It's just… my past isn't as nice as it could be either," he said slowly, his hand returning to his side.

Kaoru scooted closer to Kenshin, gently touching his cheek with her hand. "You want to talk about it, Kenshin?"

Kenshin smiled slightly, but slowly shook his head. "Maybe another time, Kaoru. It's pretty late right now, and I don't like the idea of you walking home this late. I'll give you a ride home," he said. The true reason was he didn't want to bother her right now with his past at the moment.

Kaoru looked out the window and was shocked to see it was near sunset. "Yeah, maybe I should get home now. My dad's probably worried," she said, standing up and stretching her arms.

Kenshin stood up also, grabbing his car keys. He opened the front door, holding it open for Kaoru. She nodded her thanks as she walked outside and over to his car, getting into the passenger side. He closed the front door, locking it before walking over to the car and getting in. He started the car, pulled out of the drive, and drove to Kaoru's house.

The ride there was shrouded in a comfortable silence. Soon, Kaoru's house came into view and Kenshin stopped his car in front.

"Thanks for the ride home, Kenshin," she said, looking over at the red headed skater.

He smiled. "It's no problem at all, Kaoru," he responded.

Kaoru leaned over, kissing Kenshin lightly on the lips.

Kenshin blinked, but quickly returned the kiss, soon turning the light kiss into a not so light kiss.

Kaoru slowly pulled away from the kiss, slightly breathless and face slightly flushed. She coughed nervously, a small smile on her face. "Well, uh, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked.

Kenshin nodded, an almost silly grin spreading across his face. "Yeah. I love you, Kaoru."

"I love you too, Kenshin," she said, stepping out of the car and running to her front door. She turned at the door, waving good bye before going inside.

He returned the wave, making sure she was inside before he drove away. Now that he knew her past, he would do whatever he could to keep her safe. He promised himself that, and made a note to promise Kaoru that too.

He pulled up to his house, parking his car in the drive and going inside. He ate another small snack before heading to bed, knowing he needed as much sleep as he could get.

:OoO:OoO:OoO:OoO:

Kaoru walked inside and saw her father sitting on the couch, reading the evening newspaper.

"I'm home, father," she said, walking into the living room to sit with him.

"Welcome home, Kaoru. I don't mind you stopping by your friend's house, but please call me when you do," he asked, not looking from his paper.

Kaoru winced slightly, knowing she really should have called. "I'm sorry, father. I will next time. Is dinner ready?" she asked, looking towards the kitchen.

Her father nodded. "It's in the microwave," he said simply.

Kaoru stood, walking into the kitchen and grabbing her food. She quickly ate it, knowing she still had her homework to do. Once finished with her food, she walked upstairs and into her room, getting her homework out of her backpack and starting on it immediately.

Luckily that night she only had a few math problems to do, or else she would have been up all night. She closed her math book and gave a triumphant sigh. She changed into her pajamas, glancing at the clock which read 11pm. She practically jumped into bed, falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

:OoO:OoO:OoO:OoO:

A/N: Fast update and a longer chapter! I'm so spoiling you guys. So spoil me and leave me some kind words in a review. Please note, this is the most angst I've ever written, and the first attempted rape scene, so please be kind. Also this is one of the few flashbacks I've written too. Leave a review! Be like these wonderful people!

enchantedsleeper: I never did, though I was tempted to put it in this chapter, but I figured it would be better as it's own chapter. Kaoru had an idea earlier, and I'm not saying it's right or not. I hope this was a good reason for hating skaters.

Anime Girl: Thanks.

ImmortalSlayers: Thanks. Enjoy the new chapter.

The Mystic Firefly: Yeah, well I figured since Sano's the type to freeload, he wouldn't complain about what he's eating anyway. I hope I did a good job with this chapter. To tell the truth, I'm a bit nervous about it. Hopefully this is enough Kaoru drama for right now.

Universal Fighter: Thanks a lot. Well, how about a next day update? Thanks again.


	29. School Days and Afternoon Traumas

Who was that Skateboarding Fool!

By Altia

Disclaimer: Opps… I forgot last chapter, but I still don't own it, so don't sue me!

A/N: I'm so, so sorry about the lateness of this chapter. I've just been so busy with my classes and I just never had the free time to work on it. I promise I'll work hard to update more regularly.

Chapter 29: School Days and Afternoon Traumas

Kaoru arrived at school around 20 minutes before classes were to start. For some reason today, she seemed very well rested, and almost refreshed. 'Maybe it's because I told Kenshin about my past. But I can tell he has a story to tell also,' she thought as she walked over to her friends.

Misao and Megumi sent a playful glare at Kaoru, still somewhat upset about what she did to their food the day before.

Kaoru grinned sheepishly, waving at her friends. She jogged over and stood next to them, however their expressions didn't change. "What are you guys so angry about?" she asked, trying to sound completely innocent.

Misao rolled her eyes at her best friend, putting a hand on Kaoru's shoulder. "You should know. Don't think you're going to get away with what you did to us, Kaoru," she said, an evil smirk on her face.

Kaoru gulped, suddenly feeling very nervous around the two of them. Luckily for her, Kenshin soon skated up and grabbed his board to walk over to the three girls.

"Hey, you two," he said, greeting the two, still angry, girls. Looking over at Kaoru, he smiled a bit. "Hey, beautiful."

Kaoru couldn't help the blush that went across her face at Kenshin's statement. "Don't flatter me like that, Kenshin," she said, lightly swatting him on the arm.

Kenshin smiled over at Kaoru, shaking his head a bit. "Who said I was trying to flatter you? I was telling the truth," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders.

Misao and Megumi let out a simultaneous "Aww!" at the couple. "I think we'll leave you two alone for a bit," Megumi said, tugging at Misao's arm to pull her away.

"Aww! But I wanna see what happens!" Misao whined, but was quickly shushed by Megumi and dragged away.

Kaoru sighed a bit, looking over at Kenshin. She smiled gently and put a hand on his broken arm. "How's this doing?" she asked.

Kenshin shrugged a bit, starting to walk with her towards the school. "Well, it's not hurting, if that's what you're wondering. It's doing fine, really. How about you? How are you doing?" he asked gently, giving her shoulders a light squeeze.

"I'm doing ok, Kenshin. Actually, I've never felt better. Thanks for listening to me whine and complain about my past and for comforting me when I cried," she said, smiling at Kenshin.

Rolling his eyes, Kenshin smiled down at her and kissed her head gently. "What are perfect boyfriends for?" he asked, teasing her a bit.

Kaoru blinked, looking up at Kenshin with her eyebrow raised. "And since when did you become the perfect boyfriend?" she asked, wanting to hear his answer.

"When I found the perfect girl," he said, staring down at her with intense violet eyes.

Blushing brightly, Kaoru was about to say something to that when the bell rang. "W-well, I guess we should head to class. I'll see you at lunch, ok?" she said, smiling up at him, the blush still covering her face.

Kenshin nodded, kissing her cheek gently before turning to walk to class. "See you at lunch, then," he said, waving a bit before disappearing in the mass of students.

Kaoru nodded slowly, turning and making her way to her class.

:OoO:OoO:OoO:OoO:

Lunch time finally rolled around and the student body was much relieved because of it.

'I'm so glad its Friday,' Kaoru thought, sighing a bit as she got her food and went to eat with her friends. Much to her surprise, Kenshin and Sano were already there and chatting away with Misao and Megumi.

"Are you sure you can't introduce me to Aoshi!" Misao asked loudly, wanting nothing more then to just say hello to the tall, silent skater.

Kenshin made a face, scowling a bit. "I already told you I can't. For once thing, I don't know where he lives and I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since the contest. Go to the next skating competition, I'm sure he'll be there," he said, sighing slightly.

Misao's eyes lit up as she tugged on Megumi's arm. "We have to go!" she said excitedly.

Kaoru made her way over to the table, smiling slightly as she sat down on one side of Kenshin. Sano was sitting on his other side, and the two girls were sitting across the table from them. "Hey, you guys. What's the fuss about?" she asked, though instantly regretted it as she was bombarded by the whole story told by an extremely hyperactive Misao.

Kenshin chuckled slightly, shaking his head slowly and smiling over at Kaoru. "You asked for it," he said, ducking his head as Kaoru swatted at him.

Kaoru rolled her eyes as Misao finished her tale. "Anyway, what are your plans for the weekend?" she asked, looking around at her friends.

"Nothing really, just studying for midterms coming up," Misao said, Megumi nodding her head in agreement.

Sano shrugged slightly, not worrying too much about the midterms. Study or not, he wasn't going to do well. At least, that's what he figured. "I'll probably be at the skate park mostly."

"What about you, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked, looking over at him.

Kenshin blinked, wondering that himself. "Well, I really don't have that much planned. Though, I'll probably be dealing with things for my parents' funeral and such."

Everyone looked down at their lunches, remembering that Kenshin had just went though something horrible like that.

"Way to bring down the conversation, Kenshin," Sano mumbled, glancing at the red-headed skater.

Megumi sent a pointed glare at Sano, knowing that wasn't something to be made fun of.

Kaoru could feel the tension in the air and needed to get rid of it and fast. "Well, I'm probably just going to do nothing. We should all do something tomorrow. Go out somewhere and eat, or something like that," she said, smiling up at her friends.

Misao shook her head, knowing that she needed to study for her midterms. "Sorry, Kaoru, but it's a no go for me. I really do need to study. My grade hinges on this test."

"Same here," Megumi said.

"Nah, I'd rather be at the skate park. Thanks, though," replied Sano, stuffing his lunch into his face.

Kenshin blinked, looking over at Kaoru, then looking around slowly to see all eyes on him. "Well… I guess I won't be too busy to go out for a bit," he said slowly.

Kaoru smiled wide, but then realized something. 'Maybe they all just said that to guilt Kenshin into getting out of that empty house of his for a bit.' She looked around, not seeing anything like that from Sano, though at the moment the tall skater was still stuffing his face. A look at Misao and Megumi, though, told Kaoru the whole story. "Well, then I guess we can work out the details later," she said, taking Kenshin's hand in her's.

Kenshin nodded his head slowly, a small smile on his face. "Sounds good to me," he said softly.

The group of friends continued their conversation throughout the rest of the lunch hour, though most of it was just small talk. They all groaned as the bell rang, signaling them to return to their classes, all of them praying the last few classes would pass quickly and painlessly.

:OoO:OoO:OoO:OoO:

Luckily for the whole student body, the last class hour was cut short by a fire drill. Everyone had evacuated so quickly and gathered in the appropriate place that the faculty allowed them to leave once everyone was accounted for.

Kaoru smiled wide as she met up with Misao and Megumi, who were in a different class. They made small talk for a while before everyone was excused.

"That was a lucky break, wasn't it?" Misao asked, about twice as hyper as normal.

"For you, it might have been. I was on the brink of thinking up my essay topic when the fire alarm went off," Megumi complained, pouting at the fact she'd lost her train of thought.

Kaoru laughed slightly, shaking her head at her two friends.

Reaching the front of the school, they split off in their opposite directions and Kaoru walked home. She was all smiles as she walked past the skate park, looking in out of pure curiosity.

Though, you know what they always say. Curiosity killed the cat.

Kaoru's breathe caught in her chest at what she saw. There, in the middle of the skate park, was the group of skaters that had nearly raped her before. She wanted to run, she knew she had to run, but her legs had turned to jelly and refused to listen to her mind.

Unfortunately for her, one of the skaters turned his head towards the entrance and caught sight of her.

"'Ey, dun' dat girl look familiar?" the one asked, getting his friend's attention and pointing at Kaoru.

Most of them looked over at Kaoru, staring at her for a long time. "Yeah… she does look real familiar."

'Run, Kaoru… Move your legs and run!' her mind shouted, though her body still refused to listen. By the time she did get her body to respond, she was surrounded. 'Not again… dear God, not again.'

The leader of the group stepped forward, looking down at Kaoru with scrutinizing eyes. "Hey… I remember this one… She's the one that got us separated!" he yelled, looking over at his friends.

They all stared at her a bit more before realization hit them. "'Bout time we found her! Now she'll get what she's had coming to her for four years!" one shouted.

Kaoru didn't want to look at them, didn't want to keep her eyes open. She knew she had to though, or else they could do something without her knowing at all. 'Someone, anyone… help me!' she silently begged.

Just as the group was about to advance on her, a grunt was heard from one of them. "I… tried…" he said before falling face first into the ground. Standing behind him was a very angry Kenshin, his now amber eyes flashing with anger. Next to him stood Sano, looking equally livid.

"Didn't you scum learn your lesson! Looks like you have to learn the hard way," Kenshin growled out, launching himself at the leader, his fists swinging. Right now, his cast was more of a weapon then a hindrance.

Sanosuke followed in suit, attacking the skaters as they charged him. Soon, there was an all out war between Kenshin and Sano and the gang of skaters. Of course, the skaters stood no chance again the two, and were soon in a bloody heap on the ground.

Most of the skaters had their noses broken and their teeth chipped from being punched so hard.

"It's people like you that make skaters look bad. If you come near here, or near Kaoru ever again, I'll make sure you'll never walk again," Kenshin threatened, his voice dead serious.

Stepping over, and sometimes onto, the bodies of the mostly unconscious skaters, Kenshin made his way to a slightly sobbing Kaoru, wrapping his arms securely around her. "Shh, it's ok, Kaoru. I'm here," he said softly.

Sano made sure none of the skaters could stand up before they got away.

Gently holding Kaoru close against him, Kenshin led her away from the scene and towards his house. "I'm taking Kaoru to my house, Sano. We'll have to hang out some other time," he said.

Sano nodded his head, glaring at the boys still on the ground. "No problem, Kenshin. I'll make sure the police get here before they wake up."

Kenshin smiled his thanks as he walked towards his house, holding Kaoru close against his side. She had yet to speak a word since the incident, and he worried for her mental health.

Reaching his house not much longer, he brought her inside and sat her on the couch.

Kaoru turned her eyes towards Kenshin as he sat down next to her. Staring at him a few moments, she wrapped her arms tightly around him and cried into his chest.

Kenshin held her close, rocking her back and forth and whispered comforting words into her ear. He felt such extreme anger towards those skaters that just didn't seem to learn their lesson. 'If I wouldn't go to jail, they wouldn't be breathing right now.'

After around 30 minutes of sobbing, Kaoru finally calmed down to slight sniffles and hiccups. Kenshin had held her close this whole time and gave her the strength to calm down.

"Kenshin… how did you…?" she asked, looking up at him with tear-stained cheeks.

"I was on my way to the skate park when I saw that group. I just had a feeling of what was happening, and it boiled my blood," he said, staring down at her with his once again violet eyes.

'I could have sworn his eyes were amber earlier,' Kaoru thought, but mentally shook her head. 'No, it was just the shock of what had happened.' "Thank you… so much, Kenshin," she said softly, hugging him again.

"It's no problem. If you want, I can drive you home," he said softly, kissing the top of her head gently.

Kaoru nodded her head. "In a little bit… I just want to be held just a bit longer," she said, not moving from her spot.

Kenshin smiled a bit, holding her close and fulfilling her wish.

:OoO:OoO:OoO:OoO

A/N: Whew. What an update. Some more drama for you drama fanatics. Again, so sorry for the late update. But hopefully this quarter I can update more often. I hope to update every two weeks on Saturday. Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, I could really use a beta reader for this fic. Looking back at my other chapters, I see a lot of errors that could have been avoided. So, if you are interested, email me from my bio page. And, please, leave a review. Be like these awesome people!

enchantedsleeper: Yeah, it's a good thing Misao's granddad was there. Sorry about the slow update.

blahblah2: Thanks. Sorry for the slow update.

The Mystic Firefly: Yeah, that's my first time writing things like that since this is my first "serious" fic. All my others are mostly humor. Thanks a lot for your nice comments, it really does motivate me.

ImmortalSlayers: Thanks. Sorry for this slow update.

Universal Fighter: Thanks a lot. Well, you know what happens in this chapter at least.

midnite cherry blossomz: Well, Kenshin sure kicked their butts this chapter. Go Kenshin! Here's the next chapter.

Chooky: Well, I would appreciate it if you left a more helpful review instead of just saying my story was wrong in every way. If you are going to downgrade my story, please leave valid reasons and don't flame me for my hard work.

kasumi997: Thanks.

Anime Girl: Thanks a lot. No, it's not over. For some reason, it was set to completed… I changed it though.

Sayomi-sama: Thanks. Here's the update.

4ever2belove: Thanks a lot. Here's the very long overdue update.

Kitaru: Here's the update. Enjoy.


	30. Tales of the Scar and Plans for a Date

Who was that Skateboarding Fool!

By Altia

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, so don't bother suing me.

A/N: Well, I hope to gain back some of my fan base by updating quickly. I'm so close to 500 reviews I can taste it. Help me reach my goal!

Chapter 30: Tales of the Scar and Plans for a Date

Kenshin and Kaoru both sat in each other's arms for a long time, neither one of them wanting to move, though Kaoru had called her father and told him she was at Kenshin's house and would be back later. Kaoru kept looking over at Kenshin, a smile on her face. He truly had to be sent from above for her. She could have been raped, beaten, and killed if Kenshin and Sano hadn't shown up when they did.

After sitting in silence for a little while longer, Kaoru finally decided to speak. "Kenshin? I have a question… If you don't want to tell me, then I'll understand," she said softly.

Kenshin blinked a bit, looking down at Kaoru with a smile. "What is it, Kaoru?"

"Well… How did you get that scar on your face? I mean, it's such an odd shape and I don't think you could get something like that from skating," she said.

Silence seemed to reign the room once the question was asked. Kenshin's eyes drifted to the ground in front of him. He'd known for a while that this question would come up, he'd just hoped it would have come later. Sighing a bit, he turned his violet eyes towards Kaoru.

"I guess… I knew this question would come up eventually. It's not a pretty story, and it's not something I'm proud of, but I suppose I should tell you," he said slowly.

:Flashback:

A thirteen year old Kenshin had his fists clenched at his sides as he stood in front of the door of his house.

"No! I refuse to let you leave again! I'm tired of being left alone all the time!" he yelled, his juvenile face scrunched in anger and desperation.

"Kenshin, I've told you this a hundred times. It's part of our work that keeps this roof over your head and food in your stomach! You can't be this unreasonable every time we have to leave," his father reasoned, doing his best to calm his angered son.

Kenshin shook his head wildly, not caring about money or food or anything else at that moment. All he wanted was his parents to stay home with him where they should be. "I don't care! Why can't you just stay home like normal parents? Or at least one of you stay!" he demanded, staring at his parents with a look of defiance.

Kenshin's father was about to lose his temper with his son and left the room for a few moments to calm himself down. Kenshin's mother stayed, however, trying to calm the boy.

Kneeling down in front of Kenshin, his mother put her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Kenshin, you have to understand that a lot of families are feeling the need to have both parents working. It's not just us. Please, I promise we'll be back sooner then last time," she said soothingly.

Kenshin shook his head again, not liking that answer either. "I don't care about other families! I don't think our family needs both parents to work! I refuse to let you go!" he yelled.

Even being in the other room, Kenshin's father couldn't get himself to calm down enough and stop the explosion that was going to come. Storming back into the room, Kenshin's father had a look of pure rage upon his face.

"Stop being so selfish! We're doing this for you so you can live comfortably and not have to get a part time job when you're older! Why can't you appreciate the sacrifices we're making for you! Do you think we like leaving you!" he demanded, his fists clenched at his sides.

Kenshin, being the angry, naïve teenager he was, decided to smart off to his parents. "Maybe you do! For all I know, you might not be working at all! You might just be leaving the house to get away from me!" he shouted, not backing down at all from his parents.

That was enough to send Kenshin's father over the edge. Picking up the nearest thing to him, which happened to be the fragile coffee cup he'd used to drink his morning coffee, he threw the object at the wall near Kenshin's head. He'd just expected to scare the boy into moving, but what had happened terrified the whole family.

When the glass shattered against the wall, a large, jagged shard of the cup flew at a weird angle and left a deep cut on Kenshin's face. And since the boy had tried to duck his head to avoid the cup, the shard cut his cheek from his cheekbone to nearly his jawbone.

A scared Kenshin slowly reached to his left cheek, feeling a hot, sticky liquid flowing from the wound. Moving his hand in front of him, he saw the crimson fluid and knew instantly that he'd been cut. And very deep.

Kenshin's mother screamed at the sight of the blood pouring down her son's face and onto the carpet near his feet. His father cursed as he ran to the phone, calling the hospital and telling them they would be there immediately for a deep wound to the face.

Grabbing Kenshin's arm after placing a cloth against his cheek and holding it there, the family drove to the hospital to get his cheek looked at.

The doctors did all they could to close and sew the wound so there would be no scar, but they informed the family there would be a scar that would most likely last the rest of his life. The wound had been so deep, there was almost no way to sew it so there wouldn't be a visible scar.

Ever since that incident, Kenshin never put up a fight about letting his parents leave. His father felt incredibly guilty about the whole thing, but Kenshin had reassured him that he knew his father didn't mean to hurt him.

:End Flashback:

"This vertical scar will be a constant reminder of how selfish I was that day," Kenshin said softly, feeling rather tired from the whole explanation of what had happened that day.

Kaoru shook her head slowly, not really agreeing with what Kenshin just said. "Kenshin, you weren't being selfish. Every kid wants their parents to stay close, not just you. Please don't think like that," she said.

Kenshin grew silent, letting what she said sink into him. "No… I was being selfish. I knew my parents had to work in order for us to keep our comfortable lifestyle, and I was just too selfish to appreciate it. Boy, hindsight sure does suck," he said softly, a slightly bitter tone in his voice.

Kaoru sighed slightly, knowing that Kenshin was feeling even worse about his behavior because of his parents' deaths. She put her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him loosely in a silent form of comfort.

It seemed to help because Kenshin returned the light embrace, letting out a long, shuddering sigh.

Though, Kaoru realized something. "Wait… you just told me about how you got the scar going down your face. What about the one that goes across?" she asked, tilting her head a bit.

Kenshin shook his head slowly, looking down at her with a slight smile. "That's for another time. Anyway, it's starting to get late and you should be heading back home, right?" he asked, glancing outside. Indeed, it was nearly sunset.

Kaoru gasped a bit, nodding her head quickly. "My dad won't like it if I'm late for dinner!" she said, jumping to her feet quickly. "Drive me home?"

Rolling his eyes a bit, Kenshin stood up and nodded his head. "Of course. Like I'm going to make my girl walk home," he teased, poking her side lightly.

Kaoru let out a squeak, not liking being poked there. "Don't do that, Kenshin," she said, swatting at his hand with a smile on his face.

Kenshin raised an eyebrow at her, a slight smirk on his face. "Hm… I have a feeling that you are ticklish. Am I right?" he asked.

"No…! Kenshin, I don't like the look in your eyes. Don't you dare…" she said, taking a few steps back.

In a matter of moments, the distance between the two of them was closed as Kenshin began tickling Kaoru's sides relentlessly.

The house was filled with laughter as Kaoru tried to squirm from the red-headed skater's grasp. Kenshin smirked, finally deciding to stop his friendly torture and stopped tickling Kaoru. He held her close, staring down at her with humor and a bit of something else that Kaoru couldn't determine in his eyes.

Kenshin kissed her forehead gently, his smirk fading into a smile as he took a step back. "Alright, now that I know that little piece of information, we can go now," he said, walking and grabbing his keys.

Kaoru blinked slowly before pouting and crossing her arms over her chest. "You're horrible, Kenshin," she mumbled, reluctantly following him towards the door.

Chuckling, Kenshin opened the door and nodding his head slowly. "I know I am, Kaoru. But that's why you love me," he said, flashing her a charming smile.

Kaoru rolled her eyes as she walked out of his house and towards his car as he locked the front door and opened her side of the car for her.

"Well, maybe you are a bit of a gentleman," Kaoru said, teasing him a bit.

Shutting the door after rolling his eyes at her, Kenshin got into his side of the car and turned it on, letting it warm up before pulling out of the driveway.

Kenshin and Kaoru sat in a comfortable silence for most of the ride. Finally, Kenshin glanced over at Kaoru when they were stopped at a red light.

"Are you sure you're ok, Kaoru? I mean, they didn't do anything before I got there, right?" he asked softly.

Kaoru smiled over at Kenshin, nodding her head slowly. "I'm fine, Kenshin, really. They didn't even get a chance to grab me or anything," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder gently.

Kenshin smiled a bit, nodding his head slowly and turning his eyes back to the road. Not much longer after their short conversation, the light turned green and Kenshin drove the rest of the way to Kaoru's house.

Stopping his car in front of Kaoru's house, Kenshin flashed her a gentle smile as he took her hand.

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow, then," he said, kissing the back of her hand gently.

Kaoru blinked slowly, trying to remember what the heck Kenshin was talking about. Finally, it dawned on her. "Oh! Right! I'll call you later about the details," she said quickly.

Kenshin nodded his head slowly, smiling at Kaoru as he let her hand go. "Alright, then I'll be expecting a call from you," he said.

Kaoru smiled, nodding her head. "Yeah, so I guess I'll talk to you later then," she said, leaning over and kissing his cheek gently.

Just as she was about to leave, Kenshin gently tugged Kaoru towards him and gave her a tender kiss on the lips.

Kaoru's eyes fluttered closed as she returned the kiss, pulling away a few moments later. "Talk to you later. Bye, Kenshin," she said, getting out of his car and closing the door.

Kenshin waited until she turned around at her front door, waving a bit at her then pulling away and heading back home.

Kaoru walked into her house, a smile on her face as she put her things down. Walking into the kitchen, she saw her father preparing dinner. "Hi, dad. Dinner smells very good. What are you cooking?" she asked.

Her father turned his head and looked over his shoulder at her. "Hello, Kaoru. Tonight is Italian-style spaghetti with salad," he said, turning back to finish up with their food.

Kaoru nodded her head, liking the sound of that a lot. She sat down at the table as dinner was served. She chatted with her father about what happened that day, leaving out the part with the gang of course.

Finishing up with her dinner, Kaoru excused herself and placed her plates in the sink. She walked upstairs and picked up her phone, wondering if Kenshin was home already.

'I'm sure he's home, I just wonder if he's busy or not,' she thought, sitting down on her bed. Leaning back against her pillow, she dialed Kenshin's number and listened as the phone rang a few times.

Meanwhile, Kenshin had just finished his dinner when he heard the phone ringing.

'Must be Kaoru,' he reasoned as he walked over and picked the phone up.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Hey, Kenshin, it's Kaoru."

'I was right.' "Oh, hey, Kaoru. Let me guess, you thought of something for us to do tomorrow?" he asked.

"Exactly. I was thinking we could go to the movies. I heard there are a lot of good ones out. Then after that, we could go get something to eat. What do you think, Kenshin?" she asked.

Kenshin blinked slowly. "Sounds like that's more of a date to me, but I don't mind either way. Sounds good to me, Kaoru. Any ideas as to what movie you want to watch, or where you want to eat?"

Kaoru shrugged a bit, smiling slightly. "You make those choices. Just give me a call around an hour before you come pick me up so I can get ready," she said.

"Alright, sounds good, Kaoru. I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow," he said, smiling a bit.

"Ok, I love you, Kenshin."

"I love you, too, Kaoru."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Kaoru hung her phone up, a smile on her face as she got comfortable in her bed. 'I'm going on a date with Kenshin tomorrow!' she thought happily, closing her eyes to go to sleep. She was really tired from the day's events and wanted nothing more then to sleep.

And that's exactly what she did.

:OoO:OoO:OoO:OoO:

A/N: Phew… fast update. I'm hoping this chapter will put me over the 500 review mark. This is, after all the 30th chapter of your favorite story and mine. Leave a review. Be like these wonderful people!

enchantedsleeper: Yes, it's an update and he did save the day.

antica: Thanks a lot. Here's the update.

DreamerGirl02: Well, thank you for your helpful comments and I tried to use them to better this chapter. I hope I did better this time.

Serphtears: Thanks.

The Mystic Firefly: Well, I did update. We heard a part of Kenshin's story this chapter, and we'll probably hear the other part in a couple of chapters. Enjoy.

Miharu Kawashi: I'm sorry, I'm really trying to get better about the lengths of chapters and abrupt endings. Thank you for all your nice comments about my story. It means a lot when I get praised about something I've been working on so long. Yes, college is much better.


	31. Another Date: Dinner and a Movie

Who was that Skateboarding Fool?!

By Altia

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, so don't bother suing me.

A/N: Wow… I barely broke the 500 review mark! Thanks a lot for all of you who helped me get there. I'm so horrible… I planned to update every other Saturday, but college got the best of me. I am so sorry, everyone! College has beaten me to a bloody pulp and left me to ooze. Not only that, but writer's block as well. I'll try to update more often!

Chapter 31: Another Date: Dinner and a Movie

Morning soon came for an excited Kaoru, who woke up as soon as the sun hit her face through her window. She quickly got out of bed, just knowing today was going to be a good day. Well, of course it was going to be a good day, she was going on a date with an incredibly hot red-headed skater. You'd have to be crazy to think that wasn't a good day!

She sat on the edge of her bed for a bit, stretching her arms over her head as she let her mind wander. What movie was Kenshin planning to take her to? Would it be a scary movie, so she could cling to him when she got 'scared'? Or would it be a comedy, causing them both to laugh so hard that soda shot out of their noses.

There was also the possibility that he would take her to a romantic chick-flick movie, so they could sit in the back of the theater and make out.

Nah, scratch that. Kenshin probably wouldn't put himself through that, regardless of a possibility of a make out session.

Kaoru laughed slightly at the image of Kenshin grimacing as he purchased two tickets for a chick-flick only to realize he wasn't going to get a single kiss.

Deciding to go ahead and get mostly ready now, Kaoru stood up and went to take a shower. Once finished with that, she dressed in some comfortable, casual clothes before heading downstairs for breakfast.

"Good morning, father," she greeted happily, sitting down at the table.

"Good morning, Kaoru. You seem to be in a good mood today. Any reason in particular?" her father asked, serving up eggs, bacon, sausage and hash browns.

Kaoru shrugged a bit, taking the plate offered to her and setting about eating it. "I'm going out to the movies with Kenshin later. We'll probably get something to eat afterwards, too. I hope that's alright," she said, glancing at her father worriedly. Would her father be alright with her going out with Kenshin again?

Her father was silent for a bit before nodding his head slowly. "That's fine… Just try not to stay out too late," he said, sitting down and eating his own breakfast.

Kaoru smiled brightly, glad that her father would let her go out. Once she finished her breakfast, she put her plate in the sink and hugged her father gently around the neck. "Thank you!" she said brightly before heading back upstairs.

Now, all she had to do was wait for Kenshin to call.

:::OoO::OoO::OoO::OoO::

Kenshin wasn't one to wake up early unless he absolutely had to, and today was not one of those days. Though, knowing he would be sleeping in the next day, he had enough foresight to set his alarm for 10am so he had plenty of time to get up, get ready, and find a movie and place for them to eat at.

When the alarm did go off, however, he just rolled onto his side, reached over, and flicked the annoying little device off. Silence once again filled his room, except for the sounds of his own soft snores.

It was pretty obvious he wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon.

The only thing that caused Kenshin to wake up was the sound of his own stomach growling loudly. It was 12:30 in the afternoon by this time, and his body was screaming for food.

Kenshin sighed slightly as he slowly sat up, rubbing his face with his hands. Glancing over at his clock, his eyes widened when he saw what time it was. "Crap!" he yelled, quickly jumping from his bed.

He had so much stuff to do, and not a lot of time to do it. He was pretty sure Kaoru's father didn't want her out too late, so everything had to be done pretty soon if she was to get home at a decent time.

Wasting no more time, Kenshin ran into the bathroom and quickly took a shower and put on some decent clothes.

He was trying to stay calm, though it was obvious that he was stressed. Kenshin ate his food quickly before rushing to his computer to look up a movie and some place to eat afterward.

'How could I let myself sleep in this late?! I'm such a moron!' he mentally scolded himself as he quickly scrolled through the list of movie titles. 'Would she want to see a horror movie? I mean, I don't even know if she likes scary movies? How about a comedy? You can never go wrong with a comedy… She would probably like a chick-flick. Man… Could I stand watching a two hour long chick-flick movie? Why is this so hard?!'

Kenshin was just about to have a total mental meltdown when his phone began ringing. Reluctantly leaving his chair, he walked over to his phone and picked it up. "Hello?" he asked, his voice drained.

"Kenshin? It's Kaoru. You sound tired, is everything alright?" Kaoru's voice came through the telephone receiver, obviously concerned for Kenshin's well-being.

Kenshin sighed a bit, sitting back down in his chair and looking at the computer screen. "Hey, Kaoru… Yeah, everything's fine. I just woke up late and I'm trying to find a movie to watch," he said, scrolling down the page of movie listings. "Is there any movie in particular you want to watch?"

Kaoru was silent for a bit, letting it mull over in her head. "Well, any movie would be fine. But, I think the best bet would be to go with a comedy," she said, not really in the mood for a tear jerker or horror flick.

Kenshin nodded his head slowly, looking through the list. "I think I found a good one. Next showing is at 1:45," he said, glancing at the clock on his computer screen. It was only 12:45, so he still had time to get ready and pick her up.

Kaoru smiled a bit, sitting down on her bed as she talked to Kenshin. "Sounds good to me," she said brightly. "So I can expect you here around 1:30?"

Kenshin thought about it a bit. "Hm, better make that 1:20. Better to be there too early then too late," he said, leaning back in his chair. He was a bit more relaxed now at least.

"What about after the movie? Where are we going afterwards?" Kaoru asked, wondering just what kind of clothes she should wear.

Kenshin was silent for a while, letting the thought rattle around in his head. "Just dress casual. It's not like we're going to any place fancy or anything like that," he said, shrugging idly as he looked up at the ceiling.

Kaoru smiled at the other end of the phone, nodding her head. "Alright, I'll keep that in mind," she said. "Well, I should probably start getting ready. See you in a bit, Kenshin!"

Kenshin nodded his head a bit. "Alright, see you soon," he said, hanging up the phone. "Now where in the heck can I take her?!" he yelled out in the quiet house. He was going to go crazy trying to find a place they could eat afterwards.

Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. Megumi! She'd know some place they could eat!

The red-headed skater quickly dialed her number, listening as the phone ran in his ear.

It took around 5 rings, which was longer then usual for someone like Megumi who was always near her phone, before she picked up. And when she picked up, she sounded breathless, though it wasn't from running to get the phone.

"Hello?" she managed to get out, breathing deeply to fill her lungs with air.

"Um, Megumi? It's Kenshin… Is… everything alright?" he asked, worried about the sound of her voice. It was very strange. "Did I call at a bad time?"

Megumi laughed lightly on the other end of the phone, shaking her head slowly. "Its fine, Kenshin… What is it you need?" she asked.

Kenshin blinked slowly, straining to hear something in the background. It sounded like someone else was there with her… but who? "Oh, um, I was just wondering if you knew of any good places to eat around here. Like, for after a movie or something," he explained, leaning back in his chair.

Megumi was silent for a bit, trying to think of a good place. "Yeah, you wouldn't want to take her to the same place twice… Hmm…" she said, trying to think. "I say take her to this place that I hear is pretty good. It's called the Akabeko."

Kenshin nodded his head a bit, getting the address from Megumi and writing it down on a piece of paper. "Thanks a lot, Megumi," he said. "You're a lifesaver."

Megumi laughed a bit, shaking her head slowly. "Don't worry about it, Kenshin. I'm happy to help."

Kenshin smiled, glad that was taken care of. "Alright, I'll let you get back to… whatever it was you were doing," he said. "Bye."

"Alright, bye Kenshin," she said. Though right before she hung up, Kenshin could have sworn he heard Sano's voice in the background saying something along the lines of 'Now where were we?'.

Kenshin couldn't help but laugh, thinking that was crazy. Megumi didn't seem like the kind of person that would be interested in Sano.

Putting the phone down, Kenshin got up and began looking for something nicer to wear then what he was currently attired in.

He walked over to his closet, looking through his various clothing articles. It was then that he realized he didn't have that much variation in his outfits. Most of the pants he owned were jeans, and all of his shirts were some kind of t-shirt. No combination of any of those seemed to scream 'date worthy'.

Kenshin felt like he wanted to pull his hair out by the roots. Why did this whole 'dating' thing have to be so complicated and involve so many rules?!

He kept frantically digging through his closet before he found a shirt that could work. He pulled out the hanger, noticing the shirt was just a bit dusty. Well, he could take care of that. It was a dark blue polo shirt, not a name brand, but nice enough for a date.

Walking outside, Kenshin shook the dust out of it and saw it looked practically new. He'd hardly ever worn it, only because it was a nice shirt and he hadn't wanted to mess it up. Alright, now he had a shirt, but pants were still another matter.

Almost all of his jeans were well worn; some had holes that had been patched up because of various falls during his skating.

After around 15 minutes of looking, Kenshin finally found a darker pair of jeans that he'd hardly ever worn. Main reason for that? They were just a bit too tight to skate in. Well, he wasn't skating tonight, so they should be fine.

Checking the clock, Kenshin saw he had enough time to really take his time and try to look nice. He changed into the clothes he'd picked out, seeing he looked pretty sharp in them. He brushed his long hair, making sure there wasn't a tangle in it before pulling it into a ponytail that hung against the back of his neck.

He made sure he smelt nice, as well, putting on his deodorant like usual, but adding just a bit of cologne. Not too much, though, not wanting the smell to be overpowering.

By the time he finished dressing and everything, it was 1:15, and he knew he was due to be at Kaoru's in 5 minutes. No problem.

Kenshin grabbed his keys and locked the door on his way out. He double checked to make sure he had his wallet and everything he needed for the date. Jogging to his car, he hopped in and headed out towards Kaoru's home.

::OoO::OoO::OoO::OoO::

Kaoru was practically giddy with excitement after she had hung up with Kenshin. She spent twice as long as he did trying to find something nice, but not too nice, to wear for the date.

She wanted everything to be perfect, just like any girl does when they go on a date.

Finally she settled on a nice baby-tee, pale blue in color, and jeans that were tight, but not to the point that they looked like they were painted on her skin.

Kaoru had wanted to do something fancier with her hair, but she didn't have enough time by the time she found what clothes she wanted to wear. So instead, she just brushed it out nicely and put it in a high ponytail, letting her bangs fall naturally.

She put on a bit of perfume, a light scent that was only really detectable if you got really close. And truth be told, she hoped Kenshin got close enough to smell it.

Kaoru quickly walked downstairs, getting her small handbag that had her wallet and a few essentials that a girl needed. Now all she had to do was wait for Kenshin.

And in fact, she didn't have to wait too long. Just about 5 minutes after she finished getting ready, and almost exactly 1:20, Kenshin pulled up and was at her door.

Kaoru opened the front door, about to say her greetings when her eyes caught sight of him. She looked at him up and down, her mouth hanging open a bit. Wow… he looked good!

Kenshin blinked a bit, noticing her silence when she opened the door. Was there something on his face? Though, his eyes couldn't help but do a sweep over her, though it was brief. He already knew she looked good, but today it was especially obvious.

He grinned almost stupidly as he finally broke the silence between them. "Ready to go?" he asked, leaning against the door a bit.

Kaoru blinked from her thoughts, her eyes rising to meet his. "Yeah… Let me go tell my dad," she said.

Rushing from the door for a moment, she said her good-byes to her father and promised to be home soon.

She returned to the door, smoothing her clothes out a bit. "I'm ready!"

Kenshin smiled slightly, taking her arm in his gently. "Alright, let's go!" he said brightly, leading her out to his car.

He opened the door for her and helped into the passenger seat. Kenshin even gently kissed her cheek once she was settled in before he closed the door and climbing into the driver's seat on his side.

Checking his rearview mirror, he pulled out into the street and headed towards the movie theater.

The ride over was filled with various small talk, though none of it was particularly interesting. Soon, the couple reached the movie theater and Kenshin found a parking place.

Once parked, Kenshin hopped out of the car quickly and rushed to Kaoru's side, opening the door for her.

Kaoru smiled at Kenshin as he took her hand and helped her out of the car.

Arm in arm, the two of them walked to buy their tickets. Though, this was where a bit of hostility began.

"Kaoru, let me buy your ticket! It was my idea for this date, so I should pay for everything!" Kenshin said desperately, trying to convince her to let him pay.

Kaoru let out a deep sigh, shaking her head. "No, Kenshin! I'm not some helpless girl who has to have everything paid for. I can pay for my own ticket!" she said, her voice rising in anger.

Kenshin sighed slightly. "Kaoru, please… It's the whole 'guy's pay for everything on a date' deal. It's traditional…" he tried to reason with her.

Kaoru narrowed her eyes a bit. "Kenshin, get your head out of your butt and get over this macho attitude!" she practically yelled, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. "This isn't the 1950s, and things are definitely different. I'm paying for myself, and that's final!"

Kenshin flinched a bit, putting his hands in front of him in surrender. "Alright, alright, you can pay for your ticket. But at least let me pay for dinner, Kaoru," he said, practically begging now.

Kaoru sighed, taking slow, deep breaths to calm her down. "Alright, you can pay for dinner," she said softly, her eyes closed as she soothed her anger.

Kenshin smiled slightly, taking her hand in his gently and walking towards the counter.

They paid for their tickets and walked inside. The couple discussed the kinds of snacks they wanted, and decided to go light since they were going to have dinner afterward. They bought a large popcorn to split and a medium soda for each of them.

Once the snacks were purchased, them having split the costs, the two of them found the theater their movie was in and found the perfect seats.

The movie that Kenshin had picked out definitely lived up to its title of a comedy movie. By the end of it, Kenshin and Kaoru were both nearly in tears from laughing, and both had aching sides.

Even as they left the theater, they were still chuckling to themselves. Kenshin disposed of their trash on the way out, leading Kaoru back towards his car. He just hoped this place that Megumi told him lived up to his expectations. It should, since Megumi never gave him bad advice.

"So, where are we going for dinner?" Kaoru asked, walking next to Kenshin out towards his car.

Kenshin reached into his pocket, pulling out the name and directions to the restaurant. "It's called the Akabeko… Megumi told me about it," he said, looking down at her.

Kaoru's eyes brightened happily. "I love the Akabeko! I'm glad Megumi told you about it!"

Kenshin smiled brightly, glad for the fact he'd gone to Megumi for advice. "Good, I'm glad I'm able to take you some place you enjoy," he said, the couple soon reaching his car. Kenshin helped her into the passenger seat, walking to the driver's side and getting in himself.

Starting the car, he pulled out of the parking structure next to the theater and drove towards the Akabeko.

Kaoru smiled as she sat next to Kenshin, seeing that he was doing everything he could to make her happy. Though, really he didn't have to do anything more then just be himself, but she was glad for the extra special treatment.

The ride to the Akabeko was filled with a comfortable silence, and soon enough, they reached their destination.

Getting out of the car and to the restaurant took no time at all, and the couple soon found themselves in a booth towards the back of the restaurant.

Kenshin saw why Kaoru like this place; it was very traditional in its look, and even now, they sat on tatami mats instead of chairs.

A waitress with a bright smile walked up to their table, looking down at the couple over her notepad to take their orders. "Now what can I get you two today?" she asked happily.

Kenshin blinked a bit, reading the menu through quickly a few times. It was then that he realized this restaurant was praised for its beef pot.

Looking up at the waitress, Kenshin smiled a bit. "We'll have your famous beef bowl. That's ok, right, Kaoru?" he asked, glancing to his date.

Kaoru smiled slightly, nodding her head. She always loved the Akabeko's beef pot. "Sounds perfectly fine to me, Kenshin," she said.

The waitress nodded her head, writing down the order. "And would you like anything to drink?" she asked.

Kenshin thought about it, glancing at what they offered. "Ice water's fine for me," he said.

"I'll have the same, but with a twist of lemon," Kaoru said.

The waitress once again nodded, scribbling the drink orders down. "Alright, your food will be ready soon, and I'll go get your drinks now," she said, walking off.

Kenshin smiled a bit, putting his menu aside and taking Kaoru's gently from her to put in the pile.

Looking around the restaurant, Kenshin was able to understand why Kaoru liked this place so much. It had a very friendly atmosphere and felt very homey. He would have to remember to bring her back to place whenever she wanted to go.

The waitress soon came back with their drinks and placed them on the table, smiling at the couple before once again walking off.

Kaoru took her drink, taking a sip as she tried to think of some conversation. "I'm really glad you asked me to come with you today, Kenshin," she said softly, almost as if she didn't want to break the silence between them.

Kenshin looked over at Kaoru, moving his drink a bit closer to him but not taking a sip just yet. "Anytime, Kaoru; I enjoy spending as much time as I can with you," he said, smiling kindly. "Anyway, I think we both need to relax a bit after everything that's happened the last few days."

Kaoru nodded her head in agreement, smiling a bit. It had been a crazy few days, that was for sure.

They continued to make small talk, mostly about school and how they grew up. Soon enough, their food came and a large pot was placed in the middle of the table. They were each given a plate of food to dip into the pot, and their own chop sticks to do it.

Once the food was served, most talk ceased so the both of them could eat, and eat they did.

The meal was finished in a matter of 45 minutes, and both were too full for dessert.

The waitress returned to their table with their bill, handing it to Kenshin.

Kenshin took out his wallet and removed the proper amount of money.

Kaoru blinked a bit. "Hey, Kenshin, at least let me pay my half!" she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, Kaoru. I'll pay. It's not that much anyway," he said, handing the bill and the money back to the waitress. Standing up, Kenshin walked over and held his hand out for Kaoru to grab onto.

Kaoru 'hmph'ed, turning her head away and getting up herself; she wasn't about to let him pay it all himself and then act all gentlemanly. "I wanted to pay my half, Kenshin," she said stubbornly.

Kenshin sighed a bit, shaking his head slowly. "Yeah, yeah…" he said, turning and heading out of the restaurant.

Kaoru followed after Kenshin, not really upset, just annoyed as heck at the red-headed skater. She wished he would just let her pay for her half of the dinner and be done with it. Oh well, she'd just make sure to make up for it later.

They arrived at Kenshin's car, and the boy helped Kaoru into her seat. Getting in the driver side, he started his car and pulled out and headed towards Kaoru's home.

"Guess I should be getting you home now. It's nearly dark and I don't want to keep you out too late," he said, smiling over at her.

Kaoru nodded her head slowly, looking over at Kenshin. "Yeah, I promised my father I wouldn't stay out too late. Thanks for everything today, Kenshin. It was really fun," she said softly.

Kenshin grinned a bit, nodding his head once. "No worries. I had a good time today, too," he said, keeping his eyes on the road.

Almost too soon for the couple in the car, Kaoru's home came into view and they knew it was time for them to part.

Stopping the car and putting it into park, Kenshin turned and looked over at Kaoru with a smile. "Well, looks like this is where we part ways," he said.

Kaoru nodded her head slowly, smiling a bit. "Yeah… I guess so… Thanks again, Kenshin," she replied, looking over at him.

Feeling the need to get close to her, Kenshin took her hand gently, leaning forward while pulling her towards him. Their lips met somewhere in the middle of it all in a tender and gentle kiss.

Kaoru blinked a bit, slightly surprised at Kenshin pulling her towards him, though when their lips met, all thoughts of, well anything really, disappeared.

The kiss was pure bliss for the both of them, and they wished it could last forever. Though, all humans require air at some point, and they reluctantly parted with the need became too great to ignore.

Panting just a bit, Kaoru smiled at Kenshin as she unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door. "I'll see you at school, Kenshin," she said softly, smiling a bit. "Make sure you call me when you get home so I know you got home safe."

"Alright, mother," the red-head replied, an amused smile on his face. "I'll be sure to call you."

Kaoru nodded her head, smiling as she waved and headed towards the house. She gave one last wave before going inside.

Kenshin smiled slightly, waiting until she was safely inside before driving back home. It had been one fun day, but he knew that he had finish up things with his parents' funerals and get that settled.

It was going to be a long couple of weeks for him.

Arriving back at his home, Kenshin parked his car and got out, locking it up for the night. He walked inside and pretty much got himself settled for the night, changing into his sleeping clothing and freshening up before walking into his room.

Kenshin grabbed his phone, dialing Kaoru's number up and waited for her to pick up.

Before Kaoru could even answer, Kenshin spoke. "I made it home safe and sound, mother, so don't worry," he said, knowing it would be her on the other line since he'd called her cell phone.

Kaoru couldn't help but laugh a bit, shaking her head slowly. "Alright, so you're back at home?" she asked.

Kenshin rolled his eyes a bit. "No, I'm off in a ditch somewhere calling you on a pay phone. Yes, Kaoru, I'm at home," he said, teasing her.

Kaoru let out a cute annoyed grunt. "Well, sorry about worrying about you. I'll make sure not to do it again," she said, annoyance in her voice.

Laughing, Kenshin shook his head. "I'm just giving you a hard time, Kaoru… I appreciate you worrying about me," he said gently, hoping to calm her anger. He knew she could be dangerous when angry.

"Yeah, yeah… Well, since it's late, I guess I'll let you off the hook this time. I'll talk to you later, Kenshin," she said.

Nodding his head, Kenshin remembered he was talking to her on the phone, so he spoke. "Alright, sounds good. I love you, Kaoru."

"I love you too, Kenshin. Good night," she said softly.

"G'night," he said, hanging the phone up and laying down on his bed. Making sure his alarm was set, he turned the light off and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

A/N: Wow… it's been almost a year since I updated… I'm a horrible author. I hope this extra long chapter makes up for it, though I don't feel like much was accomplished in it. Hopefully the next chapter will come easier, and I'll go back to throwing a monkey wrench into our couple's happy times. And now, to thank my reviewers, and hope for more:

MysticFirefly: Yeah, we found out a bit from his past and had cute moments. Sorry for the incredibly long update.

Sven: Thanks for the free review.

Taggerung25 (answering both reviews at once): Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying my story so much. Yeah, sorry about chapter lengths. Hopefully this'll make up for it.

antica: Haha, well, the date wasn't exactly hot… I've never been on a date before, so I'm not exactly sure how things usually go…

Universal Fighter: Hope you enjoy this chapter, sorry for taking so long to update.

SushiLuver: Thanks a lot. Enjoy this chapter as well.

Satsuki Haru: Thanks a lot for your positive comments. Congrats, you are my 500th reviewer. Enjoy the new chapter.

Miharu Kawashi: Thanks a lot. Hope this chapter is good enough for you to enjoy.


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